Unwelcomed student behaviors and their impact on classroom climate for college instructors: An integrative literature review

Little attention is given to the advocacy and professional development of college instructors who experience unwelcomed student behaviors (USB) in the classroom such as incivilities, resistance, microaggressions, bullying, and harassment. This study aims to document the types of USB that instructors experience in institutions of higher education (IHE), describe the impacts that USB have on classroom climate, and evaluate the current state of knowledge on USB in IHE. To do so, this study is grounded in a theoretical framework that draws on Benson's (1984) concept of contrapower harassment, Lampman et al.'s (2009, 2016) concept of academic contrapower harassment, and Einarsen's (2000) theoretical framework for workplace bullying and harassment. The methodology of an integrative literature review is used to synthesize a representative corpus of peer-reviewed literature and present a taxonomy of USB, a summary of the impacts that USB have on instructors, an original theoretical framework for USB in IHE, and an assessment of the current state of knowledge about USB in IHE. These findings can be used to guide research on USB in IHE and inform organizational practices and policies that support college instructors in preparing to teach and managing USB in their classrooms.