Student characteristics as predictors of instructional dissent

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore student characteristics that may predict how students express dissent in the classroom. Goodboy (2011a) defined instructional dissent as a student's expression of dissatisfaction with a class-related issue. According to Kassing's (1997) model of organizational dissent, individual factors such as temperament, traits, and personality may influence how students choose to express dissent. Student characteristics explored include aggressive communication (Infante & Rancer, 1982; Infante & Wigley, 1986), tolerance for disagreement (Knutson, McCroskey, Knutson, & Hurt, 1979; McCroskey & Wheeless, 1976; Teven, McCroskey, & Richmond, 1988), and academic locus of control (Trice, 1985). Results suggest that verbal aggressiveness is the best predictor of dissent in the instructional context. Future research should continue to examine Kassing's (1997) model of organizational dissent in the instructional context.