College Students’ Perceptions: The Influence of Syllabi Structural Elements on Course Performance

Abstract

Course syllabi have been used in college classrooms for decades. Despite their usage, there is limited data to determine their effectiveness. There is also a lack of clarity in the most appropriate structure and elements needed to influence students’ course performance. Professors’ course syllabi tend to be the first form of communication to students to share policies, assignments, and other course materials. Syllabi often provide course outlines that include methods to communicate, topics of discussion, and expected outcomes. Some colleges use a unified template, while others allow professors to choose their structure. The purpose of this study was to investigate students, from a West Tennessee University undergraduate course, perceptions of course syllabi structure influence on their course performance. A quantitative method was used during a group approach to distribute questions that allowed the researcher to gain insight of students’ perceptions. The findings of this study found that 85% of students viewed syllabi structural elements as essential to course performance, though formatting, organization, and length could be barriers to readability and usefulness.