Title: Engaging expectations: Measuring helpfulness as an alternative to student evaluations of teaching
Abstract: We propose an alternative to student evaluations of teachers (SETs), arguing that writing programs can use the SET moment to share responsibility for students’ expectations and course experiences. We argue studying students’ perceptions can help writing programs generate research for localizing engagement and aiding professional development. We study the perceived helpfulness of first-year writing (FYW) program experiences for students at a large, doctoral-granting research institution in the Midwest. We engage the expectation disconfirmation paradigm, which posits both expectations and experiences contribute to satisfactory outcomes. We analyze two semesters of survey data (n = 977) using structural equation modeling and find that disconfirmation – a confrontation between students’ expectations and experiences – related to students’ ratings of helpfulness. Helpfulness ratings varied directly with disconfirmation, suggesting students found courses more helpful when their experiences exceeded locally defined expectations, and less helpful when experiences did not meet expectations. Program and instructor variables may have also influenced student attitudes. Male instructor gender identity associated with greater helpfulness ratings. Additionally, disconfirmation varied with enrollment level, and had an indirect effect on helpfulness ratings. Given our findings, we describe directions for professional development. We also identify opportunities for future writing assessment research related to the perception of helpfulness.
Publication Year: 2020
Publication Date: 2020-06-25
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref']
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Cited By Count: 5
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