Relationships Between Students’ Motivational Climate Perceptions and Their Evaluations of Teaching in a University Course

• In Event: The Scholarship of Teaching Evaluation

Abstract

We examined the extent to which students’ motivational climate perceptions predict student evaluations of teaching (SETs) and whether these relationships vary across courses led by different instructors. Theoretically, this study addresses a gap in the literature by integrating two research topics, motivational climate and SETs, which have largely developed separately. Participants included 54 undergraduates, who completed an online questionnaire assessing students’ motivational climate perceptions and SETs. Students’ motivational climate perceptions were positively related to SETs, and in particular, perceptions of usefulness and interest predicted SET when controlling for race/ethnicity, gender, and class standing. These relationships were consistent across instructors, with only one exception. Practically, these findings indicate that implementing teaching strategies targeting students’ motivational climate perceptions may improve SET scores.

Authors

• Saylor Bane, Virginia Tech

• Brett D. Jones, Virginia Tech