Abstract
It is not uncommon for students to complain that faculty are unapproachable, while faculty complain that students are not engaged. Such perceptions, especially when formed at the start of a semester, can impact what students learn and how instructors teach; therefore, it is critical that these perceptions are prevented if a course is to be successful. A good starting point is the syllabus, which not only informs students about a course and its requirements, but creates a first impression about the instructor and his or her attitudes toward teaching. We conducted an experiment in which the course syllabus was manipulated to reflect a friendly or an unfriendly tone so that we could explore the perceptions students formed of the instructor and class. Results supported the hypothesis that a syllabus written in a friendly, rather than unfriendly, tone evoked perceptions of the instructor being more warm, more approachable, and more motivated to teach the course.
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Harnish, R.J., Bridges, K.R. Effect of syllabus tone: students’ perceptions of instructor and course. Soc Psychol Educ 14, 319–330 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-011-9152-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-011-9152-4