Abstract
When instructors and students enter the classroom, they bring with them (multiple) social identities that influence classroom interaction. A social identity perspective toward instructional communication allows for exploring how interactions in the classroom are impacted by social group similarities and differences between students and their instructor (and vice versa). Being mindful of both social identity categories and intersectionality, we consider the role of multiple social identity categories and the implications of these identities for the people who claim the category, as well for others who "label" them as a part of a particular group. In particular, we look at the social identity(s) of students and instructors as tied to sex/gender, race/ethnicity, age, social class, sexual orientation, and disability. In each section, we review and evaluate relevant research and propose future directions for research in the area of social identity in the education setting.