Student Listening Gains in the Basic Communication Course: A Comparison of Self-Report and Performance-Based Competence Measures*

Abstract

Direct listening instruction is a frequent component of basic communication courses. Research has found changes in self-perceived listening competence during a basic communication course and only a minimal relationship between self-perceived and performance-based measures of listening and other communication behaviors. Results of the present study suggest that students' self-perceived listening competence increased, but there was no change in performance-based measures of student listening behavior between the beginning and end of a hybrid basic communication course. Results also show that self-report and performance-based measures are related at the end of the course but not at the beginning. Several implications of these results for basic course and listening instruction are discussed.