The effects of teacher self‐disclosure via<i>Facebook</i>on teacher credibility

Participants who accessed the Facebook website of a teacher high in self‐disclosure reported higher levels of teacher credibility than participants who viewed a low self-disclosure Facebook website.

Abstract

Abstract Research suggests that teachers who personalize their teaching through the use of humor, stories, enthusiasm, and self‐disclosure are perceived by their students to be effective in explaining course content. This experimental study examined the effects of computer‐mediated teacher self‐disclosure on perceptions of teacher credibility. Participants who accessed the Facebook website of a teacher high in self‐disclosure reported higher levels of teacher credibility than participants who viewed a low self‐disclosure Facebook website. Implications for classroom pedagogy, technology use, and areas for future research are discussed. Keywords: self‐disclosure Facebook competencetrustworthinesscaringteacher credibility Notes 1. A prior version of this article was included in a proceeding of the Russian Communication Association, 2008.