| Foreign instructors who teach in U.S. universities often enter the classroom without an introduction to American student expectations. The American classroom tends to be more interactive and more informal than classrooms in other countries. In addition, there is a specific format that American students expect information to be presented to them that often differs from how foreign instructors learned in their home countries. Research has shown that a teacher will use instructional approaches typical of the classroom where s/he learned. This creates the potential for conflict between a foreign instructor and his/her students, thus hindering the learning environment. This study examines the influence of culture on instructional style and perceived teacher effectiveness by comparing three points of view: international teaching assistants (ITAs), their students, and an expert observer.;Interviews, questionnaires, and classroom observations make up the triangulation methodology used in this study. A qualitative analysis of ITA self-ratings, student ratings of their ITA, and expert observations yields three common differences between ITA and student expectations which suggest culture does influence one's instructional style: how one organizes/presents information, approach to classroom management, and manner of addressing confusion/questions. Findings reveal that American students expect information to be organized in a very detailed format that is often not familiar to ITAs. Consequently, ITAs feel that the students are unprepared and unmotivated and their students feel that the ITA is not meeting their needs as learners. The classroom management style of the ITA is generally less interactive, therefore they do not possess the appropriate facilitation skills. This results in their students feeling underprepared for homework and exams. Students thus leave class more confused than when they arrived, but do not express their confusion to their ITAs, so the ITAs are unaware of their perceived shortcomings as instructors and do not realize that to be a successful teacher, they may have to adapt their instructional approach. The results of this study add context to our understanding of how the culture in which one learns influences pedagogical practices. In addition, it offers specific evidence relevant to the design and curriculum of ITA training programs. |
