Faculty Forum

Abstract

We investigated students' perceptions of the distinction between ideal and typical teachers using a 40-item survey that solicited responses to professors' personal characteristics, course design and policies, and classroom behavior. Compared to their Typical professor, students' Ideal professor was, in some ways, more lenient, but also more accessible, personable, open to variation, and clear about course policies. We suggest that Ideal teachers capitalize on a subset of behaviors that strengthen the investment, and thus presumably also the rewards, of both teachers and students in the educational process.

Aspirational Model Teaching Criteria for Psychology

“…In addition to their broad pedagogical approach, model teachers also possess mastery of many specific teaching skills. There is some consensus on the skills and classroom stance of the best college teachers Epting, Zinn, Buskist, & Buskist, 2004;Keeley et al, 2006Keeley et al, , 2010Marsh, 1984;Svinivki & McKeachie, 2011 (Cerbin, 2012). Lesson plans, at a minimum, contain a list of learning objectives and the materials and methods the teacher will use to facilitate learning.…”

The Ideal University Teacher according to the Views of Greek Students

“…Profiles described by younger students, and by students matriculating straight from high school, appear to have a repeated pattern in literature (Epting et al;Feldman, 1988;Carlan, 2001). In the studies mentioned above, age played a significant role, since older students described their ideal professor as organized and flexible, while they also presented the ideal class as an organized one.…”

“…In the study of Epting et al (2004), certain characteristics appear both in the typical and the ideal professor, such as the clear speech (93 % for the ideal and 80% for the typical) and the daily appearance of the course's goals in the syllabus (83% and 52%). The above characteristics are, however, part of the "technical" educational procedure.…”

“…Students tend to have a distinct overview of the preferable teaching qualities (Beishline & Holmes, 1997), as well as the personal characteristic, that refer to the general professor's attitude (Gurung & Vespia, 2007). On the one hand, there are studies that outweigh the importance of a professor's personal characteristics, such as being empathic, encouraging dialogue and expression of opinion and being truly concerned about students' well-being (Epting, Zinn, Buskist, & Buskist, 2004;Mclean, 2001). Other studies emphasize the importance of subject mastery, as an indicator of the educator's competency (Arnon & Reichel, 2007;Roberts, 1981).…”

Are We Violating Student Expectations? Availability, Workload, Class Time Use, and Technology Policies in Undergraduate Courses

“…Instructors who are perceived as more available to students are considered ideal instructors (Epting, Zinn, Buskist, & Buskist, 2004). Sander, Stevenson, King, and Coates (2000) found that among college students, availability was the second most desirable behavior in instructors.…”