How teachers can use their "power" to advance student learning

As part of my Assessing and Teaching Communication course, I have been reviewing a series of articles related to communication education. I will be posting my synopsis and notes on application/relevance of these articles for communication teachers on this blog. Here is the first one.

Synopsis

Drawing on French and Raven’s well known typology, Finn (2012) reports findings from a study on the five forms of power used by teachers and how this impacts students’ perceptions of whether they are understood or misunderstood by their instructor. The results showed that teachers who exert influence by their knowledge (expert power) and their likability or role modeling (referent power) receive higher perception of instructor understanding (PIU) and lower perception of instructor misunderstanding (PIM) scores from their students, while teachers who rely on coercive power (negative consequences for undesirable behaviors) received lower perception of instructor understanding (PIU) and higher perception of instructor misunderstanding (PIM) scores.

Teachers who exercised power through the ability to bestow desirables on students (reward power) or by virtue of their status/titles (legitimate power) had comparatively less significant impact on students’ PIU and PIM. However, although to a lesser extent, reward power was linked to PIU while legitimate power was linked to PIM.

The study by Finn (2012) builds on earlier studies that have linked positive teacher-student relationships and learning outcomes to PIU. Finn advances the research literature in this field by demonstrating a connection between the type of power used by the teacher and PIU/PIM. Finn’s (2012) research therefore indicates that so-called pro-social teacher behaviors related to the use of power (expert, referent, and reward power) contribute to positive student-teacher relationships and desirable learning outcomes, while so-called anti-social communication behaviors (use of coercive and legitimate power) detract from positive student-teacher relationships and desirable learning outcomes.

Application

Finn’s (2012) study provides some pointers on what kinds of instructors students might view as a model teacher, based on their communication leadership behavior. In so doing, it reveals the model aspiring teachers should try to emulate. When it comes to fostering positive relationships with students and advancing learning outcomes, teachers can best influence learners by delivering quality instruction (use of expert power), combined with a personable, open, approachable, and authentic presence in the classroom (referent power). Teachers should also use reward power (compliment good work publicly), although expert and referent power are likely to be more effective. Teachers should avoid reliance on legitimate power (often expressed through formality and superiority) and coercive power (sanctioning and belittling students) as these types of behavior, especially coercive displays of power, have the most negative effects on PIU, teacher-student relations, and ultimately, learning outcomes.

Reference

Finn, A. N. (2012). Teacher use of prosocial and antisocial power bases and students’ perceived instructor understanding in the college classroom. Communication Education, 61(1), 67-79.