Instructional Beliefs Model Meets Task Value: What Role Do Instructor Behaviors and Student Perceptions Play?

The purpose of this study was to examine the factors impacting students’ task value, the utility and future applicability they see in what they are studying/learning in a particular class. Over 375 undergraduate students participated in the online survey study, where they completed scales about instructor clarity, instructor-student rapport, perceived immediacy, information flow, self-efficacy, and task value. After subjecting all scales to validity testing, a model based upon the instructional beliefs framework tested whether instructor clarity and instructor-student rapport positively predicted task value as mediated by information flow, self-efficacy, and perceived immediacy. All direct and indirect paths were statistically significant. Study implications emphasize the importance of engaging in clear communication and building strong relationships with students to positively impact their beliefs and instructional outcomes.