Do Student Perceptions of Their Instructors Predict Course Grades?

• In Event: Exams, Grades, and Assessment Methods in Higher Education

Abstract

We know little about the role of university faculty in facilitating positive student outcomes; and how students from different backgrounds experience the college classroom. This paper aims to shed light on some of these unanswered questions by examining the relationship between student perceptions of their instructors and final course grades for students from diverse backgrounds. Preliminary analyses suggest a statistically significant relationship between course grades and whether a student perceived their instructor to be approachable in class. Furthermore, students who felt supported in class also predicted slight increases in their course grades. Both results remained statistically significant after accounting for self-reported motivation levels, college GPA (a measure of prior academic performance), and first generation college student status.

Author

• Claudia Escobar, University of California - Davis