Psychology Majors to Publish Article on Instructor Dislike of Students
(LEBANON, Ill., February 24, 2021) — Three McKendree University psychology majors have had an article entitled “Disliking Students: The Experiences and Perspectives
of College Teachers” accepted for publication. The article is forthcoming in the academic
journal College Teaching, which is “an interdisciplinary academic forum on issues
in teaching and learning at the undergraduate or graduate level.” A preprint can be
found online here.
Seniors Erika Axtell and Abigail Kishimoto and sophomore Breanna Sampo conducted the
research and co-wrote the article with Dr. Guy A. Boysen, professor of psychology.
The researchers surveyed a national sample of college instructors to determine how
frequently they developed intense dislike for students. Almost half of teachers had
disliked at least one student. In addition, the instructors rated the impact dislike
had on them and the effectiveness of various responses to dislike.
The authors state that “the pedagogical literature offers advice for effective management
of difficult student behaviors, but there is little acknowledgement of the negative
feelings teachers may develop toward the students who need managing.” They hope that
this important pedagogical issue will become a more common topic in the professional
development of college teachers.
McKendree University psychology majors Abigail Kishimoto, Erika Axtell and Breanna Sampo present their research study on “Disliking Students: The Experiences and Perspectives of College Teachers,” which has been accepted for publication in the academic journal College Teaching.
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