Abstract:
One of the crucial goals of higher education is building a scientifically literate citizenry. The science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subject areas are indicated as good domains to develop knowledge and skills for becoming future leaders. However, previous research has indicated a constant decline in the number of American college students enrolled in the STEM areas. Several studies have indicated that instructors play a critical role in promoting students’ satisfaction that influences their learning. This study explores the teaching characteristics that influence student satisfaction in college STEM courses through document analysis. The data include students’ comments reported on two college course-rating websites. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. Four identified instructional attributes pertinent to student satisfaction are as follows: (a) teaching styles, methods, or strategies; (b) teacher knowledge and preparation; (c) teacher attitude toward teaching, subject, and students; and (d) practical workload and expectations. We discuss implications of the study results and future research directions.
