The First Day of Class Affects Student Motivation: An Experimental Study

Abstract

Teaching experts assert that the first day of class impacts students, with potential negative effects lasting the entire term. However, no empirical research supports this supposition. We randomly assigned students to view a video of their professor either providing a positive or negative first-day experience. Students with the positive experience reported better attitudes and more positive expectations at the end of the first day. Although several differences dissipated by the end of the first week, students with the positive first-day experience reported higher motivation for the majority of the course, and their grades were significantly higher by the end of the term.