Abstract
The introductory communication course has a history of producing meaningful scholarship that shapes teaching and learning at institutions of higher education around the world. The scope of this research is broad and, as such, calls for a meta-synthesis of trends in and avenues for future research. This project examines published work from the past decade—2010 through 2019—in key outlets that regularly publish introductory course-focused research (The Basic Communication Course Annual, Communication Education, Communication Teacher, The Journal of Communication Pedagogy). This analysis of 98 articles revealed that publications tend to focus on three primary areas: (1) students and instructors, (2) the structure of the course, and (3) assessment—while calling for future research to “replicate” past studies. Based on this meta-synthesis, we propose directions for future scholarship that will continue to impact teaching and learning practices beyond replication.
DOI
10.31446/JCP.2021.1.07
Author ORCID Identifier
Lindsey B. Anderson: 0000-0001-6705-735X
Ashley Jones-Bodie: 0000-0003-0820-6911
Recommended Citation
Anderson, L. B., Jones-Bodie, A., & Hall, J. (2021). Mapping research directions in the introductory communication course: A meta-synthesis of published scholarship. Journal of Communication Pedagogy, 4, 85-95. https://doi.org/10.31446/JCP.2021.1.07
