AN INVESTIGATION OF PROFESSOR AND COURSE FIRST IMPRESSIONS AS A FUNCTION OF A SYLLABUS WELCOME STATEMENT IN COLLEGE STUDENTS

This study was conducted to analyze first impressions of a professor and student motivation for taking a college course. The researcher hypothesized that a course syllabus with a professor welcome statement would have a more positive effect on first impressions of the professor and student motivation as compared to a course syllabus without a welcome statement. A convenience sample of 174 college students reviewed a fictitious Community Health Policy course syllabus, which included a welcome statement from the professor or no welcome statement. Students in the welcome statement condition had more positive perceptions of the professor, indicated greater motivation to take the course, and reported a greater likelihood to ask questions in class and seek assistance during office hours in comparison to students in the control group. Implications for course outcomes are discussed. Keywords: first impressions, professors, perception, course syllabi, motivation
Only 63 percent of full-time students in the U.S. who enrolled at a 4-year-degree granting institution in 2013 graduated with their degrees by 2019 (The National Center for Education Statistics, [...]