What Undergraduate Students in China Say about Their Professors' Teaching

Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 325 Chestnut Street Suite 800, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Fax: 215-625-2940; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals

Y

13

Undergraduate Students; Higher Education; Foreign Countries; Teaching Methods; Student Evaluation of Teacher Performance; Teacher Effectiveness; Teacher Student Relationship; Student Attitudes; Knowledge Base for Teaching; Teacher Behavior; Questionnaires

10.1080/13562510902757179

1356-2517

Students have traditionally been viewed as passive recipients of knowledge and their contributions to understanding good teaching have been largely ignored. This study presents first-person account of university students of their professors' teaching. A total of 210 undergraduate students from China wrote about their best and worst professors. Favorite teachers were described as knowledgeable about curriculum and instruction, making connections to student learning beyond textbooks and examinations, and as employing more student-centered teaching approaches to engage and inspire students. Teachers were viewed as role models who showed qualities of care and of having heart. Least favorite teachers focused more on research than teaching and did not see the importance of developing teaching competence. They were indifferent, difficult to talk to, and employed didactic delivery modes that taught content for examinations. Implications for a re-examination of the culture of teaching and learning in higher education systems in China are discussed.

As Provided

30

2009

EJ834245