This study examines the conditional and interaction effects of each of four dimensions of the epistemological beliefs of college students regarding the ability to learn, the speed of learning, the structure of knowledge, and the stability of knowledge on six measures of the motivational components of self-regulated learning strategies (intrinsic…

Using data from 82 in-depth interviews with a randomly selected sample of college students, we explore how these students are forming felt identities in the following domains: intelligence and knowledgeability, occupation, and cosmopolitanism. We study the formation of students' identities by considering college an arena of social interaction in…

A longitudinal study, based on Holland's theory of occupational choice, found accentuation of initial group differences for artistic abilities in both male and female college students and for enterprising abilities of male students within academic subenvironments. Data support Holland's theory that students' initial selection of academic…

This analysis attempts a systematic synthesis of the rather large body of research on college students' views on teaching and their assessment of the effectiveness of various attitudes, behaviors, and pedagogical practices of instructors. Characteristics of superior teachers are identified and analyzed. (Editor/LBH)

A series of analyses on college students' assessments of their teachers and courses is continued in this review, with focus on the circumstances of rating (i.e., anonymity of student raters, purposes of ratings, presence of instructor during rating, timing, rating format, sampling). Issues of bias and comparability are also discussed. (LBH)

Whether various correlates of within-class ratings are to be interpreted as biasing factors or as natural influences on social perception is analyzed in terms of whether students' ratings are objective descriptions or subjective, evaluative reactions. (An extensive bibliography is included.) (Author/LBH)

A review of research shows that college students' anticipated or actual grades in class are positively related to their evaluation of courses and teachers but that overall grade point average seems unrelated. Teacher- or course-induced interest in the subject and perception of amount learned also show positive correlations. (JT)

A systematic analysis of extant studies reveals a very weak inverse association between the size of class enrollment in a college course and students' overall evaluation of the course and its teacher, as well as between class size and evaluations of instructor's skill in presenting material and communicating information. (Author/MLW)

College teachers' personality traits were grouped into 14 clusters of traits. Only 4 of 14 trait clusters showed statistically significant average correlations between the teacher's personality traits and students' overall evaluations. Studies measuring traits by the perception of the teacher's students or colleagues found statistically…

Thirty-one studies in which students and faculty specified the instructional characteristics they considered particularly important to good teaching and effective instruction were analyzed for commonalities. Results were compared with those of an earlier study of student ratings. (Author/MSE)

Degree of profile similarity across specific evaluations was determined for studies comparing teachers' self-ratings with current student ratings, as were the relative and absolute similarity (or dissimilarity) for certain of the specific instructional dimensions. Implications were explored in terms of individual and subgroup differences.…

The relationship between the ratings college teachers receive from student evaluations and the seniority and instructional experiences of these teachers is investigated. The associations found between academic rank and global evaluations have generally been positive only and a possible explanation for this is offered. (Author/MLW)

Extant research was explored for factors that might mediate either positive or inverse associations between research productivity and teaching effectiveness and those that possibly could be common causes of them. Pedagogical practices and dispositions of faculty members, as well as certain course or class characteristics were examined. (Author/MLW)

Among findings of a review of research on college students' preconceptions of male and female college teachers were that, in the majority of studies, students' global evaluations of male and female teachers as professionals were not different, though in a minority of studies, male teachers received higher overall evaluations than did female…

Research on college students' evaluations of their male and female teachers is synthesized and compared with results of research on student evaluation of hypothetical male and female teachers. Results suggest the interaction of gender, teacher characteristics/behaviors, and student perceptions and expectations is complex. (MSE)