Understanding Students' Theories of What Makes an Effective Professor

• In Event: College Students' Perspectives on Effective Teaching: What Are Our Responses?

Abstract

Since student evaluations are often used in important decisions regarding promotion and tenure, understanding college students' thinking and reasoning about effective teaching is critical to making good personnel decisions and to generally improving educational experiences. This research utilizes methods derived from cognitive psychology research on implicit beliefs to map the relative importance of different characteristics that professors may demonstrate in the classroom. The results demonstrate General Knowledge/Intelligence and Passion for Teaching play a central role in students' understanding of what makes an effective professor regardless of the students' own level of achievement and motivation.

Authors

• Erin Morris Miller, Bridgewater College

• John Graybeal, George Mason University

• Brian Kelley, Bridgewater College