Student Perceptions of Foreign Born Instructors: Implications for Pedagogical Effectiveness.

This research examines student perceptions of foreign born instructors in higher education. Based on the theoretical foundations of country of origin effects, this empirical study operationalizes constructs in classroom settings and student-teacher interactions. A national random sample of student respondents (n=785) is used to ascertain the validity of measures and subsequent analysis. The results indicate that the majority of students do not perceive foreign-born instructors differently from native-born instructors. Most students had a positive attitude towards foreign-born instructors and generally felt that foreign-born instructors were very effective teachers. Students indicated that foreign-born instructors would benefit from pedagogical strategies that reduce reliance on verbal instruction in favor of a hybrid of lectures and visuals. Student perceptions of overall effectiveness of foreign-born instructors are driven by observable instructor characteristics such accent, looks, attire, and skin color. Findings of this preliminary study are useful to foreign born instructors as they contemplate pedagogical strategies to better meet the needs of their students. This study also provides implications for instructors, and faculty development leaders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]