Study on Correlations between College Teachers’ and Students’ Concepts of “Ideal-Student” and “Ideal-Teacher”

Abstract

SINCE INTERACTION between student and teacher comprises an in tegral part of the school-situation, the sociologist has an interest in how the inter-actors define the situation. It is assumed that withinthe framework of reference in and through which student and teacher d e fine the situation lie their concepts of the ideal-teacher and ideal student. The author has launched upon a study to tap these concepts. Many studies related to this general area have already been made1, but the specific factor of spontaneity and the specific factor of correla tion of concepts of teacher and student in the same institution have not been stressed. This study aspires to make that contribution2. The sample was drawn by questionnaire from 35 teachers and 101 undergraduate students at a university in the Pacific Northwest. The teachers and students represented every department in the university ; namely, Arts, Science, Engineering, Education, Commerce and Fi nance. The teachers represented all ranks from instructor to full pro fessor and had taught on the collegiate level from 1 to 20 y ear s. The student sample consists of 35 freshmen, 24 sophomore, 22 juniors, and 20 seniors. The students' questionnaires weredistributed in selected classrooms by the instructors and then returned to the author. The teachers' questionnaires were sent by mail and returned in s e If addressed envelopes. Since the author was interested in getting spontaneous replies from both teachers and students, the questionnaire consisted of a few intro ductory items by which the person might identify himself as to age, sex, major, and department, if he were a student; and as to age, sex, depart ment, degrees, and teaching experience, if he were a The re mainder of the questionnaire asked for a listing of the traits which the student or teacher thought comprised the ideal-student and ideal teacher. A second part of the study, not included in this report, asked for a ranking of these traits from the most important to the least im portant. It is the spontaneous replies which are the object of this report.