Perceived Attributes of Superior Teachers (PAST): An Inquiry into the Giving of Teacher Awards

Abstract

We examined the conferring of distinguished teaching awards, a social device to help sustain professed group values. A content analysis located 2900 statements (made by 978 students and faculty, at UNC-Chapel Hill, in support of their nominees) in 35 categories. The imputed attributes of superior teachers described, chiefly, teaching techniques. Far fewer personal and professional traits were mentioned. The optimum set of traits imputed to superior teachers combines command of subject matter, concern for student and techniques for conveying that competence and conscientiousness. To understand more about factors making for superior teaching, we compared certain background characteristics of rank award-winner and placers (N = 60) with 60 controls. We also explored relationships between nominee rank and various personal and contextual characteristics and factors affecting student-teacher interaction, jointly and separately considered in regression analysis.