The Attributes and Attribute-Consequences of Great College Teachers

摘要

A great teacher is one who facilitates a large volume of learning and achieves adulation from the students. To aid teachers aspiring for greatness, this study employs personal interviews and questionnaires to identify the attributes students associatewith great teachers, as well as the consequences of those attributes students value. Results suggest that great teachers are dynamic lecturers and clear communicators; these two attributes help students focus in class and understand the material. Students desire to commit to a class, and they find this commitment easier if teachers get to know their students, exhibit a personable personality, and signal their desire for students to learn. Driving these preferences is the students' desire to commit to the class, understand the material, and improve class focus. Teachers who find it difficult to exhibit all of these attributes can instead focus on the attribute-outcomes students desire, and devise their own strategy for achieving these outcomes that isconsistent with the class size, class topic, and the teacher's personality.