Extending the generality of the qualities and behaviors constituting effective teaching

I surveyed 2 samples of Canadian undergraduates (N = 629) concerning their views of a "perfect instructor. " Stu~ dents identified asmany descriptors as theywished; I carego-rized theminto26 sets ofqualities andbehaviors. The top10 categories included: (a) knowledgeable; (b) interesting and creative lectures; (c) approachable; (d) enthusiastic about teaching; (e) fair and realistic expectations; (f) humorous, happy, and positive; (g) effective communicator; (h) flexi~ bleand open~minded; (i) encourages studentparticipation; and (j) encourages and cares for students. Of the 26 cat~ egories, 24 are akin to those found by Buskist, Sikorski, Buckley, and Saville (2002), reflecting an almost equal emphasis on teaching technique and the student-teacher relationship. These findings offer international support for their categories of effective teaching