Psychophysiological correlates of learner-instructor interaction: A scoping review

This article reviews recent studies of real-time learner-instructor interactions and psychophysiological indicators associated with this process. The initial systematic search of the literature yielded 2,663 articles; 26 peerreviewed articles in English were included in the final sample. The learner-instructor interpersonal relationships were studied using neuroimaging, eye movements, and peripheral physiological devices. Retrieved articles covered several phenomena accompanying learning interaction, including attention and meditation processes, mental effort, engagement, inter-brain synchronization, relationship quality, and interpersonal behavior. Some articles emphasized the link between the aforementioned processes and learning outcomes. The following psychophysiological correlates of processes underlying learning interaction were indicated. Inter-brain synchronization in the prefrontal cortex and temporal-parietal area is associated with the social component of learning interactions and positively correlates with learning outcomes. Students' engagement is accompanied by a decrease in electroencephalography occipital alpha rhythm, indicating heightened attention. Experienced teachers tend to focus their gaze on students while balancing gaze between learners and content facilitates students' attention. Students' gaze allocation toward learning-related areas indicates attention and engagement, which varies with instructional strategies. Heart rate and electrodermal activity positively correlate with learners' engagement, increasing during active educational strategies and decreasing throughout the lesson. Finally, heart rate, reflecting physiological arousal and interpersonal behavior, relates to the emotions experienced by the teacher. However, most of the registered associations require replication and further research, as at this point, their direction and magnitude are inconclusive due to, most likely, the differences in the methods and analytical strategies. Limitations and implications for future research are discussed.