This Is AuburnElectronic Theses and Dissertations

Professors’ Teaching Effectiveness in Relation to Self-Efficacy Beliefs and Perceptions of Student Rating Myths

Date

2006-08-15

Author

Balam, Esenc

Type of Degree

Dissertation

Department

Educational Foundations

Leadership and Technology

Abstract

One of the purposes of the current study was to develop an instrument capturing different dimensions of college professor’s sense of efficacy so as to investigate the relation between professors’ efficacy beliefs and professors’ teaching effectiveness. The differences between students’ and professors’ perceptions of student rating myths as well between female and male students; and professor characteristics as predictors of teacher self-efficacy and overall effectiveness were also examined. Participants of the study were a total of 968 students, 97 graduate and 871 undergraduate; and 34 faculty members, 9 graduate teaching assistants (GTA), 3 full professors, 11 associate professors, 8 assistant professors, 3 instructors, in a southeastern university. All the students completed the survey, Student Evaluation of Educational Quality (SEEQ) (Marsh, 1982) to provide a measure of their professors’ teaching effectiveness. Faculty, on the other hand, completed the survey, Teacher Appraisal Inventory (TAI). Both students and faculty completed a section consisting of 16 student rating myths. Statistically significant relation was found between professor self-efficacy in enthusiasm, breadth and teaching effectiveness regarding enthusiasm and breadth, respectively. It was reported that the academic rank of the professor has a major influence on professors’ overall efficacy beliefs in teaching as well as students’ learning, class organization, rapport, exam/evaluation, and assignment. That is, the greater the rank, the higher the efficacy beliefs in these domains. The statistical analyses indicated statistically significant differences between professors’ and students’ perceptions of student rating myths as well as between male and female students’ perceptions. Full professors, female professors tended to receive higher ratings than their counterparts, and compared to undergraduate students, postgraduate students gave higher ratings to professors. Also, expected grade had an effect on student ratings of professors’ teaching effectiveness. Discussion and recommendations for further research are provided.