Abstract:

The HE teacher personality is a leading factor of the quality of the educational process. Scientists have been using different approaches in their work (deduction - they described an ideal teacher, induction - students evaluated their teachers, or when psychological tests backed the illustration of real qualities of teachers).

Ramsden suggested a list of personality attributes - principles of effective teaching in higher education. Six key principles included interest and explanation, respect for students and their learning, appropriate assessment and feedback, clear goals and intellectual challenge, independence, control (by students over their own learning) and learning from students.

The aim of our research was to analyze students´ attitudes to good engineering teachers and their potential changes in time. Participants of our 3 surveys (2008, 2015, 2018) submitted their opinions and experience in a 500-1000 word essay “What makes a good engineering teacher”. Main attributes were derived after 3 phases of qualitative evaluation. In the first phase all relevant semantic formations in essays were registered and assorted (substantives, adjectives, verbs). In the second phase synonyms were set aside and all the attributes were included in 3 categories: expertise – human qualities – didactic/presentation skills. Strong, good and some consensus were derived from the data.

Strong consensus – (almost in all the essays) suggested a good engineering lecturer:
is enthusiastic, gives clear, well-structured presentations and uses real-world engineering examples backed up by industrial experience.
Good consensus (in more than half of the shortlisted essays):
a good lecturer has a genuine interest in students as individuals and as members of an audience (is friendly and patient; is audience-aware and responds to feedback), encourages learning, has depth of knowledge and command of the material, uses visual material and demonstrations effectively.
Some consensus – (30 - 50% of essays) indicated that a good engineering lecturer is efficient at simplifying difficult concepts, is well organized and reliable.

Similar results were received in the survey I, II and III after essay analyses of 3 cohorts of students - despite of the lapse of time. Students presumed high expertise of their teachers, but also underlined importance of the real-world engineering examples. Enthusiasm and ability to motivate were perceived as essential.

Keywords:

HE teacher, qualitative studies, essay analysis, expertise, enthusiasm.