All participants in the study volunteered and thus were aware of their course being filmed which could possibly elicit the Hawthorne effect.

Wayne State University

Limitations of the study include:
- 1-minute interval methodology
- Nature of sample
- Ethical dilemma

Making a First Impression: Exploring What Instructors Do and Say on the First Day of Introductory STEM Courses - Limitations

Lane, A. K., Meaders, C. L., Shuman, J. K., Stetzer, M. R., Vinson, E. L., Couch, B. A., Smith, M. K., & Stains, M. (2021). Making a First Impression: Exploring What Instructors Do and Say on the First Day of Introductory STEM Courses. CBE life sciences education, 20(1), ar7. https://doi.org/10.1187/cbe.20-05-0098 

Making a First Impression: Exploring What Instructors Do and Say on the First Day of Introductory STEM Courses

The researchers characterized each minute of instructor talk into a category rather than each individual statement leading to possible underestimates of the topic distribution.

Making a First Impression: Exploring What Instructors Do and Say on the First Day of Introductory STEM Courses - 1-minute interval methodology

Due to variation in class size, length, and the distribution of STEM courses, comparisons across STEM disciplines was not possible.

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