Effects of Procedural Fairness on Student Judgments of Professors

Authors

  • Rita Cobb Rodabaugh Ocean County College Author
  • David A. Kravitz Florida International University Author

Abstract

The importance of procedural fairness has been demonstrated in other domains but neglected in educational research. This article reports three experiments on university student reactions to fairness issues. In Experiments 1 and 2, ratings of professors described in written scenarios were affected by manipulations of procedural fairness and grade outcome. The effects of procedural fairness were stronger than the effects of grade. In Experiment 3, ratings of professors were affected more strongly by reported fairness than by reported interpersonal warmth, lecturing ability, or course difficulty. Implications of these results for future research and for faculty behavior are discussed.

Published

2024-03-22