Which dimensions of clear teaching are most important? Dominance analysis and random forests

Instructional clarity is an effective teaching behavior that has consistently been linked to positive classroom outcomes. Because instructional clarity is multidimensional, college instructors should know which dimensions are most important for predicting student success. We asked 434 students to report on their experiences in a college classroom to investigate how five clarity dimensions (i.e., fluency, reducing working memory overload, interaction, coherence, and structure) predicted variables associated with students’ ability (i.e., organization and extraneous cognitive load) and motivation (i.e., perceptions of cost and self-efficacy) to process course material and to determine which dimensions were more (or less) important. Using dominance analysis and random forests, results indicated that all dimensions of instructor clarity were valuable. Reducing students’ working memory overload was deemed highly important for variables associated with students’ ability and motivation to process course information. Structure also stood out for its impact on variables associated with students’ ability to process course information.