Color and Curves: Student Perceptions of Teachers and the Corresponding Impact on Student Achievement Outcomes

Abstract

This study examines race and gender based perceptions of college-level instructors and the corresponding influence on academic performance. This study argues student perceptions and stereotypes mirror the real world. Such “real world” thinking leads students to have lower expectations of classroom instructors, particularly if they are women or members of a minority group. Such perceptions of female faculty members and racial minorities are arguably lower at the community college-level. Using pre-and-post survey questionnaires, results show a strong connection between instructor’s race and quality of teaching expectations among students. Additional results reveal a weaker connection between gender and teaching expectations. Statistically-significant results show that students do perceive community college education inferior when compared to 4-year institutions, but results do not reveal statistically significant results for a connection between race, gender and inferior education at the community college-level.