In the eye of the beholder: using student narratives to explore memorable teachers

Abstract

Undergraduate students enrolled in an introductory educational technology course at a large US Midwestern public university completed a “greatest learning experience” narrative assignment, in which they were prompted to discuss and describe their best learning experience. In many of the narratives (n = 267), students discussed a memorable teacher. Using a coding framework informed by the literature, student narratives were analyzed using a descriptive deductive process. Results indicate that most students described memorable teachers as having a combination of instructional and interpersonal skills, possessing positive attributes (e.g. compassion, sense of humor), and leaving a personal or academic impact. Out of the coding categories, students were least likely to discuss specific positive attributes of the teacher compared to teacher skills/actions and impact. Additional results are shared and specific implications for teacher educators, practising educators, and pre-service teachers are discussed.