Character Strengths of Teaching and Research Award-Winning Professors

This study examined online student feedback to determine the extent to which students identify strengths of character in their perceptions of professors and whether student-identified character strengths could distinguish between teaching-award winners (n = 120) and research-award winners (n = 119). A content analysis of posted comments on RateMyProfessors.com revealed the most commonly identified character traits to be perspective, kindness, leadership, humor, creativity, vitality, and fairness. Teaching-award recipients averaged a greater number of traits compared to research-award winners. Future research is needed to determine how character strengths among teaching faculty can best be applied to teaching practices, faculty development strategies, and institutional priorities for optimal faculty and student outcomes.