Development of a Classroom Authority Observation Rubric

When student end-of-course ratings are not commensurate with instructor skill and effort, one possible reason may be that students question the instructor's authority. It is proposed here that such doubts about authority are reinforced by specific instructor behaviors. This pilot study attempts to identify these behaviors in the interest of reducing their occurrence in the classroom. In order to control for identity characteristics (e.g., gender, race, sexual orientation), which can also lead to doubts about authority, this study is limited to white females. Using the constant comparative method, videotapes of four instructors from different disciplines were analyzed. Twenty behaviors were identified and classified into four categories: voice and diction, body language, focus of attention, and classroom management. These were compiled into a rubric—the Authority Observation Rubric—which can be used to identify teacher behaviors that affect classroom authority. This article includes a review of the literat...