Syllabus Detail and Students' Perceptions of Teacher Effectiveness

Although syllabi provide students with important course information, they can also affect perceptions of teaching effectiveness. To test this idea, we distributed 2 versions of a hypothetical course syllabus, a brief version and a detailed version, and asked students to rate the teacher of the course on qualities associated with master teaching. Students in the detailed syllabus group rated the teacher as possessing more of these qualities; they were also more likely to report that they would recommend the course to others and take another course from the teacher. Thus, in addition to serving a communicative function, a detailed syllabus might signal to students that their teacher is competent and wants them to do well.