The title by which a professor is recognized by their students and/or by which they ask their students to address them has implications for how they are perceived by students. Prior research has found that instructors who allowed students to address them by their first name were evaluated as more approachable and made students feel more valued (McDowell 2005), students had different expectations for instructors teaching the same course based on the instructor type and title (Kendall 2012), and students’ perceptions of their instructors affected their interpersonal relationships (Ellis 2007). The current research looks specifically at how professors’ use of titles, such as Doctor or Professor, affects students’ perceptions of them. Using qualitative data collection and analysis techniques, emergent themes of student perceptions of their instructors who have positions of assistant professor, associate professor, or professor are evaluated. Social, institutional, and pedagogical implications are provided, as well as suggestions for future research.
