The impact of students’ individual differences on their communication apprehension in online classrooms: Empirical evidence from Iran

Hybrid learning is currently practiced in Iran’s Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), especially throughout the country’s business schools. Given the importance of Communication Apprehension (CA) as an inhibiting factor in student participation in online classrooms, this study aims to investigate CA in online classes among MBA students studying at the seven most prestigious Iranian business schools concerning their individual differences (the Big Five personality traits and demographic variables, namely, gender, year of study, and work experience). In this quantitative study, data was gathered through an online survey and analyzed using LISREL 8.80. The results indicate that extraversion and agreeableness negatively predict Communication Participation Avoidance (CPA) and Low Level of Communication Confidence (LCC) in an online class. While “neuroticism” predicts LCC and CPA positively and significantly, “conscientiousness” and “openness to experience” do not predict CA dimensions. The results demonstrate that the mean scores of LCC are higher for female students compared with male ones. The results of ANOVA tests also reveal that LCC is higher among first-year students. Finally, the accumulation of work experience reduces CA.