Instructor Gender and Student Gender Influence Standards for Teaching Effectiveness

Abstract

Research examining the influence of gender stereotypes on students’ evaluations of course instructors has found that ratings were lower when the instructor was thought to be female. The present study extends this research by examining the role of gender in setting standards for evaluating instructor competence. College participants read a description of a male or female instructor and answered questions measuring their attitudes and expectancies of instructor behaviors (e.g., hours devoted to updating lectures, speed in responding to email). Preliminary results indicate instructor effectiveness varies according to the instructor gender and participant gender.