Exploring relationships between a teacher’s race-ethnicity and gender and student teaching expectations

Abstract

ABSTRACT Research shows that despite well-deserved advances and achievements to diversifying and gaining access to higher education institutions in the United States (U.S.), such progress has failed to reduce student perceptions of inferiority and mediocrity towards female teachers and teachers of colour. Most higher education research in the U.S., focusing on teacher race-ethnicity and gender, occurs at the four-year university level. Less research examines the relationship between a teacher’s race-ethnicity, gender, and student teaching expectations at the two-year community college level. This study explores student teaching expectations using original survey data collected from a convenience sample of students enrolled in a large, predominately white two-year higher education institution in the U.S. referred to as community colleges. Overall, results show statistically significant positive relationships between a teacher’s race-ethnicity and students’ teaching expectations. Teacher gender is significantly associated with student teaching expectations, but only as it is intersectionally examined in association with the teacher’s race-ethnicity. More research focused on teaching expectations, the intersectionality of race-ethnicity and gender, course evaluations, and classroom climate is needed at the two-year community college level to understand how students frame their teaching expectations and the impact on women and women of colour faculty.