| Instructional improvement begins with an increased awareness of the research concerning the methods, sources, and tools utilized to enhance the individual's skill level and instructional repertoire. The most extensive research source of instructional improvement comes from the students themselves, who sit day to day in classrooms and can be considered to be on the “front lines.” Characteristics of teaching effectiveness, when identified and explored, can be modeled by instructors seeking improvement. More than just a set of techniques, instructional improvement is a continual process of renewal requiring commitment.;In this dissertation, the author explored the themes of students' written comments through a content analysis regarding the strengths of faculty teaching in the graduate school. The author intended to (a) identify the characteristics of highly rated faculty and (b) describe the characteristics of highly rated faculty. Characteristics described are not objective categories; they are based on the subjective comments concerning the experiences of graduate students.;Results indicated that graduate students described highly rated instructors as open to hearing students and encouraging discussion/interaction, knowledgeable, enthusiastic, experienced in the field, prepared/organized, helpful, understanding, and understandable. Highly rated instructors created a collaborative, challenging, yet comfortable environment in which students felt they were an integral part of the learning process. |
