Student Engagement in Listening Strategies Impacts Self-Evaluation of Academic Achievement and Personal Life

Abstract

Listening is recognized as an essential skill in academics, professional careers, and personal relationships. A gap exists in listening scholarship regarding the study of students’ examination of their listening. The aim of this research was to analyze students’ self-perceptions of the influence of listening practices on their academic performance and personal lives. We engaged in this listening study within a speech communication course, a general education requirement at a STEM-focused private university in the southeastern United States. We integrated listening instruction and activities in 17 sections of the traditional speech course taught during three consecutive semesters. We used anonymous end-of-course self-evaluation prompts to assess the efficacy of students’ listening strategies. Most students perceived that their grades and personal lives were positively impacted by their use of listening strategies. Students categorized their listening as one of twelve listening strategies modified from published studies. We related the number of reported listening strategies to an end-of-course survey prompt. Students using greater numbers of listening strategies perceived improvement in their personal lives. Our results demonstrate the persistent, consistent instruction and activities in support of student use of listening strategies impacted student perceptions of learning and the impact of listening on their personal lives.