Teacher-Student Perceptions of Teaching Styles: EFL College Classes

A paradigm shift towards active learner participation in the learning process has led instructional practices to adopt the learner-centered approach, even though teachers’ roles still tend to be dominant in Korea. Under this instructional transition, teachers often believe they are practicing learner-centered approach while students view such teaching styles as continuing to stress teacher-dominant approaches. This study examined the differences in evaluations of teaching styles from teachers and students in the context of college English classes and their influences on students’ learning satisfaction. A survey was used to access the perceived teaching styles of instructors as measured by the seven factor model of Conti (1989). An independent measures t-test and multiple regression analyses were used to analyze the differences in teaching styles and their relationships with learning satisfaction. The results indicated that students’ and instructors’ perceptions of teaching styles were significantly different in four of the seven categories: the learner-centered activities, personalizing instruction, assessing student needs, and flexibility in the learning process. There is also a significant negative relationship between the perceptional differences in teaching styles and students’ learning satisfaction. These findings suggest that, when instructors and students evaluate teaching styles in different ways, instructors need to find a way to communicate such differences. This study argues for the important role of effective teacher training program in reshaping their teaching styles in more collaborative ways.