Interpersonal Communication; Interpersonal

A study investigated the relationships between a university standardized student evaluation of faculty teaching and students ' perceptions of the communication skills used by the instructor. Subjects, 397 students taught by 12 instructors from the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Dayton (Ohio), completed the regular teacher evaluation and a communication style inventory about the instructors. Correlations between individual communication competency skills and student evaluation of the instructors were computed. Results indicated that: (1) supportiveness and empathy were correlated with instructors respecting students as persons; (2) altercentrism (being interested and responsive to the thought and ideas of others) showed a strong relationship with all instructor evaluation items; (3) as a communication competency, assertiveness had the weakest relationship with the instructo