Let Teachers Know About The Perceptions of Undergraduate and Graduate Students on What Makes an Effective Instructor
Abstract
This paper investigates the perceptions of students studying at a university in the Middle East regarding the characteristics of an effective university instructor. Anonymous survey data from 1,557 students from both graduate and undergraduate programs were collected. A discussion of the characteristics of an effective instructor, as outlined in the literature and review of some of the current views on teaching and learning in tertiary institutions, is followed by an analysis of the data collected to answer the research question, “What, according to the participating students, are the characteristics of an effective instructor?” The results reveal that an effective instructor is one who is not only an expert in their field of study but also one who is aware of teaching methods and the expectations of their students. In all, this study contributes to increasing the amount of empirical research on students’ perceptions from this part of the world and provides information that may prove beneficial to those involved in education in this region. It concludes with recommendations for further research. One of these is, had this study been conducted during the present Coronavirus pandemic, would technical knowledge of online teaching have surfaced as an effective teacher requirement?
Keywords
Middle East, Effective Teaching, Teaching and Learning Practices, Characteristics, Effective Instructor
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