| Abstract: | Faculty engage in “pedagogical solitude,” in which they plan, teach, and assess their work alone. To optimize teaching environments and learning outcomes, students can serve as “student pedagogical teams” (SPT) and provide feedback on instructor performance, course structure, and content. Using self-determination theory, this study explored the experiences of students serving on SPTs, faculty perceptions, and impact on class motivation. Mixed methods design. Two sections of Psychosocial Aspects incorporated SPTs, while two did not. SPTs administered five two-minute papers to obtain feedback shared with faculty at three points during the semester. All sections completed the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) pre-/post-semester. SPTs completed midterm and final reflections, and faculty reflected after each SPT-faculty meeting. Results confirmed serving on SPTs gave students a voice, increased motivation, appreciation for the complexity of teaching and respectful communication. Faculty gained a wider perspective on classroom practice. MSLQ results indicated that test anxiety increased U=547, p=.00, α2 =0.05 for the control groups. Intrinsic value was higher for the experienced instructor U=150, p=.04, α2 =0.05; and self-regulation was greater for the experimental sections U=664, p=.03, α2 =0.05. Using SPTs, faculty can establish classroom environments that facilitate students' internal motivation, active learning, and ultimately their intellectual development. |
