An examination of teacher authenticity in the college classroom

Constructing and influencing perceived authenticity in science communication: Experimenting with narrative

“…The literature examining authenticity in the context of marketing and consumer behavior examines authenticity as a quality which is both conveyed and perceived [11,19]. In organizational and management literature, the definition of authenticity often emphasizes the relational aspect [20][21], an emphasis which is also found in literature examining authenticity in the context of education [22][23].…”

“…The education literature is particularly relevant in this case, because perceived authenticity offers the message receiver an opportunity to recognize that the communicator is a unique individual with a set of values, a history, and intentions, as they themselves are. Johnson and LaBelle's [22] research into teacher authenticity acknowledges the challenge of conveying authenticity in the context of a power imbalance, a context which offers the possibility that the communicator may be perceived as "looking down" on the message receiver [22]. The potential of authenticity to capture the dimensions of trust that focus on the communicator's "having a personal stake in the issue," their similarity to the receiver" and their "willingness to admit uncertainty" [24] have particular relevance in science communication, where the communicator is possessed of presumed expertise and advanced knowledge.…”

“…Authenticity. Because there is no established scale for perceived authenticity, we developed 19 questions adapted from research into dispositional authenticity by Kernis and Goldman [8] and Wood et al [9] and with reference to the research of Johnson and LaBelle [22] on teacher authenticity. For example, the instrument developed by Wood et al [9] measures authenticity through agreement on a 5-point scale with statements such as "I always stand by what I believe in."…”

“…This is in contrast to questions of authenticity that arise in other contexts, such as intimate partner relationships where the perceptions are toward someone of equal status or in marketing, where the audience holds a presumed power over the communicator (to buy or not to buy). Thus, Johnson and LaBelle's research on teacher authenticity formed the basis for a series of additional measures in this study related to whether or not the communicator is perceived to "look down" on readers and whether she desires to hide behind a "smoke screen of professionalism" [22].…”

Practice to Research: Rapport as Key to Creating an Effective Learning Environment

“…Useful also to investigate would be confirmation that instructor rapport cannot be “manufactured” or “artificially manipulated.” Rapport arises out of genuine instructor intent, interaction, and exchange. Thus, I propose inauthentic instructor attempts at creating rapport will be ineffectual and that students can discern disingenuous attempts to build rapport, such as acted-out “performances” and “scripts.” Recent work by Z. D. Johnson and LaBelle (2017) focusing on teacher authenticity buttresses this proposition.…”