Abstract
The concept of a connected classroom climate considers that peer-to-peer interaction, not just instructor-student interaction, contributes to a sense of community in the classroom that can impact student outcomes. This qualitative case study considers both student and instructor perceptions of what contributes to that sense of connection in the classroom at a mid-size, four-year, Hispanic-serving university. Data was collected using semi-structured interviews and member checks with students and instructors who engaged in the first-year basic communication course during the Spring 2022 semester. Four themes emerged in this study: a) the communication classroom is uniquely positioned to create a sense of community; b) student and instructor participants expressed different views on why and from whom students seek academic and social-emotional support; c) student and instructor participants expected instructors to encourage student participation and interactions; and d) non-first year student participants felt less connected to their classmates than their first-year peers in the basic communication course. Given the diverse student and faculty participants in this study, findings add to the understanding of connected classroom climate at minority-serving institutions. Additional contributions to the current body of research on connected classroom climate, as well as implications for further research and practice are discussed.
Recommended Citation
Grobmeier, Cynthia
(2025)
"Feeling at Home in the Basic Communication Course: A Qualitative Case Study of Faculty and Student Perceptions of a Connected Classroom Climate at One Midwestern University,"
Basic Communication Course Annual: Vol. 37, Article 7.
Available at:
https://ecommons.udayton.edu/bcca/vol37/iss1/7
Included in
Higher Education Commons, Higher Education and Teaching Commons, Interpersonal and Small Group Communication Commons, Other Communication Commons, Speech and Rhetorical Studies Commons