Teacher Nonverbal Immediacy and Classroom Enjoyment: Exploring the Potential Mediating Roles of Belongingness and Mattering

Linden, Zoé (2025) Teacher Nonverbal Immediacy and Classroom Enjoyment: Exploring the Potential Mediating Roles of Belongingness and Mattering. Bachelor thesis, Psychology.

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Abstract

Teacher nonverbal immediacy has a positive impact on many student outcomes, such as classroom enjoyment. However, it is not clear how it exerts this beneficial influence, particularly in the context of peer mentoring. Therefore, we explored the mediating roles of belongingness and mattering in the relationship between peer mentors’ nonverbal immediacy and classroom enjoyment. A convenience sample of 204 first-year university students completed an online questionnaire, including demographics and measures of nonverbal immediacy, belongingness, mattering, and classroom enjoyment. The hypothesized mediation model was examined using PROCESS macro model 4 (Hayes, 2013). As predicted, we found a significant mediation pathway through belongingness. However, contrary to our expectations, mattering was not a significant mediator, although it was associated with increased classroom enjoyment. This suggests that nonverbal immediacy exerts its positive influence on classroom enjoyment through its effect on belongingness. Based on our findings, we recommend that teachers promote both belongingness and mattering, as they are associated with increased classroom enjoyment, which in turn is associated with greater academic achievement. While belongingness can be promoted by engaging in nonverbal immediacy behaviors, this does not seem to be sufficient for mattering. Future research should explore other ways to foster a sense of mattering, we propose that verbal immediacy could be a good starting point. Keywords nonverbal immediacy, belongingness, mattering, classroom enjoyment, university students

Item Type:	Thesis (Bachelor)
Supervisor name:	Dalley, S.E.
Degree programme:	Psychology
Differentiation route:	None [Bachelor Psychology]
Date Deposited:	09 Jul 2025 09:05
Last Modified:	09 Jul 2025 09:05
URI:	http://gmwpublic.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/5395

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