An Investigation of Students’ Forgiveness, Instructional Dissent, and Learning in the College Classroom

Abstract

The current study examined the belief that students’ forgiveness mediates the relationship between instructor transgressions and students outcomes. Students’ descriptions of instructor relational transgressions were consistent with Kearney, Plax, Hays, and Ivey's (1991) typology of incompetent, offensive, and indolent misbehaviors. Results supported the mediating role of forgiveness, indicating that perceived severity and blameworthiness associated with instructor misbehaviors predicted students’ forgiveness, which in turn influenced students’ instructional dissent as well as affective and cognitive learning. Consistent with research in interpersonal communication, results suggest that perceptions and forgiveness of misbehaviors are important to understand in order to maximize positive outcomes in the college classroom.