Authenticity in College Classrooms: A Qualitative Study Exploring Student Perceptions and Instructor Insights Ursula VanAntwerp, Graduate Student, UNO GRACA Recipient University of Nebraska - Omaha

Preview Purpose of the Study Authenticity Defined Literature Review Research Questions Methodology Thematic and Trait Analysis Discussion Questions

Purpose of the Study Examine how college students identify authentic instructors Explore how authentic instructors view themselves

Authentic Leadership “those who are deeply aware of how they think and behave and are perceived by others as being aware of their own and others’ values/moral perspectives, knowledge and strengths; aware of the context in which they operate; and who are confident, hopeful, optimistic, resilient, and of high moral character” Avolio, B.J., Gardner, W. L., Walumba, F. O., Luthans, F. & May, D. R. (2004). Unlocking the mask: A look at the process by which authentic leaders impact follower attitudes and behavior. The Leadership Quarterly, 15, 801-823.

Literature Review Authentic Leadership Research Authentic Leadership Theory (Northouse, 2013) self-awareness, internalized moral perspective, balanced processing, and relational transparency Business Organizations Psychology Educational Administrative Leadership (Duignan, 2015) Gap in Authentic Leadership Literature Student perspective and instructor insights Duignan, P. (2014) Authenticity in educational leadership: History, ideal reality. Leading & Managing, 21(1), 1-21. Northouse, P. G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and practice (7th edition). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Research Questions RQ1: How do college students identify authentic instructors? RQ2: How do authentic college instructors view themselves?

Methodology - Participants Participants – Convenience Sampling Five college students: all female Undergraduate/graduate Varied majors, one university Aged 20-25, various ethnicities Four college instructors: 3 female, 1 male Ph.Ds Communications, multiple universities Aged 42-60, various ethnicities

Methodology - Approach Qualitative Approach In-Depth Interviews Different open-ended questions for each group Recorded 30-75 minute interviews 100+ pages transcribed text Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator 70 closed-ended questions

Methodology - Analysis Began during interviews and transcription 32+ hours transcribing time Each transcription read multiple times Looked for emerging themes, sub-themes Identified rich, descriptive text

Thematic Analysis Student Themes Instructor Theme Students identified as authentic instructors who: Shared common interests Exhibited interest in them Behaved with self- confidence Strong Self-Concept

Student Vignette Common Interest “She will pick at your brain, saying, you said this to me. She asks so many follow-up questions to make sure you understand what you just said, and what’s going through your brain. I like people to challenge me, so I think that’s something we might have in common.” -Nicole, 22

Student Vignette - Personality “Her energy, her passion for seeing qualities in others and bringing them out, I love seeing that, and bringing that out in other people myself.” -Elle, 22

Student Vignette Instructor Self-Confidence “They had a good foundation of who they were. It wasn’t a challenge for them to portray that in the classroom. They were just themselves. They were very secure in their personalities and in their teaching.” -Alaina, 24

Instructor Vignette – Strong Self-Concept “I recognize that students don’t always accept or believe that they’re being treated fairly. Often students want to be the exception. I try to work very hard at being consistent.” -Dr. N, 59

Instructor Vignette – Strong Self-Concept “One of my greatest strengths is that I think I’m present to my students. I work hard to be. I will physically think of myself as breathing in what they say.” -Dr. W, 53

Discussion Study findings on instructor insights reinforce authentic leadership theory research (Northouse, 2013) Instructors are self-aware, utilize moral perspective, balanced processing, and relational transparency Study findings provide new insights on how students identify authentic instructors Northouse, P. G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and practice (7th edition). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Limitations and Future Research Two Midwestern universities Group of participants small Participant diversity limited Instructors all communications teachers Researcher bias Future Research Exploring student authenticity as they become instructors

References Avolio, B.J., Gardner, W. L., Walumba, F. O., Luthans, F. & May, D. R. (2004). Unlocking the mask: A look at the process by which authentic leaders impact follower attitudes and behavior. The Leadership Quarterly, 15, 801-823. Avolio, B. J., Walumba, F. O., & Weber, T. J. (2009). Leadership: Current theories, research, and future directions. Annual Review of Psychology, 60, 421-449. doi: 10.1146/annurev.psych.60.110707.163621 Cerne, M., Dimovski, V., Maric, M., Penger, S., & Skerlavaj, M. (2013). Congruence of leaders self-perceptions and follower perceptions of authentic leadership: Understanding what authentic leadership is and how it enhances employee satisfaction. Australian Journal of Management, 39(3), 453-471. Northouse, P. G. (2016). Leadership: Theory and practice (7th edition). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Questions?