Students Evaluations of Instructors’ Performance in Higher Education Institutions: What Research Has to Say
Abstract
The evaluation of instructors’ teaching performance by their students has been used since the early 1920's. There has been a tremendous increase in interest regarding students’ evaluations of teaching and this topic has been the subject of a substantial body of research spanning over 70 years with nearly 2000 studies. Most of these researches show that student evaluations are generally reliable and valid methods for gathering data on teaching. However, student evaluations are certainly not a perfect measure of teaching. To help substantiate and extend data from student evaluations, the evaluation process should include the triangulation of results from student evaluations, colleague evaluations, and supervisor evaluations. In light of this view, this paper attempts to discuss the following issues that are mostly raised in higher education research: (1) Are student evaluations reliable and valid? (2) Are students able to make correct judgments prior to having been away from the course, and possibly from the university, for a number of years? (3) Are student evaluations a popularity contest? (4) Do grades students receive or expect to receive affect their evaluations of the course and instructor? (5) Do extraneous variables bias student evaluations? (6) Can student evaluations be used to improve instruction and/or make personnel decisions? Finally, the paper tries to make conclusions and forward recommendations based on critical review of available literature.
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References
Abrami, P. C., d'Apollonia, S., & Cohen, P. A. (1990). The validity of student evaluations of instruction: What we know and what we do not. Journal of Educational Psychology, 82, 219-231.
Abrami, P. C., Leventhal, L., & Perry, R. P. (1982). Educational seduction. Review of Educational Research, 52, 446-464.
Abrami, P. C., & Mizener, D. A. (1985). Student/Instructor attitude similarity, student evaluations and course performance. Journal of Educational Psychology, 77(6), 693-702.
Aleamoni, L. M. (1987). Typical Faculty concerns about student evaluation of teaching. In Techniques for evaluation and improving instruction. New Directions for teaching and learning. L. M. Aleamoni (ed.). No. 31. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Aleamoni, L. M., & Hexner, P. Z. (1980). A review of the research on student evaluation and a report on the effect of different sets of instructions on student course and instructor evaluation. Instructional Science, 9, 67-84.
Arreola, R. A. (1995). Developing a comprehensive faculty evaluation system: A handbook for college faculty and administrators. Bolton, MA: Anker Publishing Co.
Braskamp, L. A., and Ory, J. C. (1994). Assessing Faculty Work. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.
Brown, J. (1998). 10 ways to get better student evaluations: 2 that may actually work. Core Issues, 8, 1-7. (York University newsletter).
Centra, J. A. (1993). Reflective faculty evaluation: Enhancing teaching and determining faculty effectiveness. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Centra, J. A. (1994). Current Issues in Evaluating and Improving College Teaching. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA) meeting in Atlanta, April.
Cohen, P. A. (1981). Student evaluations of instruction and student achievement: A meta--analysis of multi-section validity studies. Review of Educational Research, 51, 281-309.
Costin, F., Greenough, W. T., & Menges, R. J. (1971). Student evaluations of college teaching: Reliability, validity, and usefulness. Review of Educational Research, 41, 511-535.
d'Apollonia, S., & Abrami, P. C. (1997a). Navigating student evaluations of instruction. American Psychologist, 52, 1198-1208.
d'Apollonia, S., & Abrami, P. C. (1997b). In Response. Change, September/October, 18-19.
Erdle, S., Murray, H. G., & Rushton, J. P. (1985). Personality, classroom behavior and student evaluations of college teaching effectiveness: A path analysis. Journal of Educational Psychology, 77(4), 394-407.
Feldman, K. A. (1978). Course Characteristics and College Students' Ratings of their Own Teachers: What We Know and What We Don't. Research in Higher Education, 9, 199-242.
Feldman, K. A. (1986). The perceived instructional effectiveness of college teachers as related to their personality and attitudinal characteristics: A review and synthesis. Research in Higher Education, 24(2), 139-213.
Feldman, K. A. (1989). The association between student evaluations of specific instructional dimensions and student achievement: Refining and extending the synthesis of data from multi-section validity studies. Research in Higher Education, 30, 137-194.
Frey, P. W. (1978). A two-dimensional analysis of student evaluations of instruction. Research in Higher Education, 9, 69-91.
Greenwald, A. G., & Gillmore, G. M. (1997). Grading leniency is a removable contaminant of student evaluations. American Psychologist, 52, 1209- 1217.
Greenwald, A. G. (1997). Validity concerns and usefulness of student evaluations of instruction, American Psychologist, 52, 1182-1186.
Grush, J. E., & Costin, F. (1975). The student as consumer of the teaching process. American Educational Research Journal, 12, 55-66. Marsh, H. W. (1977). The validity of students' evaluations: Classroom evaluation of instructors independently nominated as best and worst teachers by graduating seniors. American Educational Journal, 14, 441-447.
Marsh, H. W. (1984). Students' evaluations of university teaching: Dimensionality, reliability, validity, potential biases, and utility. Journal of Educational Psychology, 76, 707-754.
Marsh, H. W. (1987). Students' evaluations of university teaching: Research findings, methodological issues, and directions for future research. International Journal of Educational Research, 11, 253-388.
Marsh, H. W., and Dunkin, M. J. (1997). “Students' evaluations of university teaching”. In R. Perry and J. Smart (eds.), Effective Teaching in Higher Education: Research and Practice. New York: Agathon Press.
Marsh, H. W., & Overall, J. U. (1979). Midterm feedback from students: Its relationship to instructional improvement and students' cognitive and affective outcomes. Journal of Educational Psychology, 71, 856-865.
Marsh, H. W., & Roche, L. A. (1997). Making students' evaluation teaching effectiveness effective: The critical issues of validity, bias, and utility. American Psychologist, 52, 1187-1197.
Marsh, H. W., & Ware, J. E. (1982). Effects of expressiveness, content coverage, and incentive on multidimensional student evaluation scales: New interpretations of the Dr. Fox effect. Journal of Educational Psychology, 74, 126-134.
McKeachie, W. J. (1990). Research on College Teaching: The Historical Background. Journal of Educational Psychology, 82, 189-200.
McKeachie, W. J. (1997). The validity of use. American Psychologist, 52, 1218- 1225.
McKeachie, W. J., Lin, Y., & Mendelson, C. N. (1978). A small study assessing teacher effectiveness: Does reaming last? Contemporary Educational Psychology, 3, 352-357.
Murray, H. G. (1996). "Does Evaluation of Teaching Lead to Improvement of Teaching?" Submitted to International Journal of Academic Development,
Murray, H. G. (1983). Low inference classroom teaching behaviors and student evaluations of college teaching effectiveness. Journal of Educational Psychology, 71, 856-865.
Murray, H. G. (1984). The impact of formative and summative evaluation of leaching in North American universities. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education. 9, 117-131.
Phillips, P. (1998). Student views of student evaluations of teaching: Core Issues, York University newsletter, 8, 9-11.
Sorcinelli, M. D. (1999). The Evaluation of Teaching: The 40–Year Debate about Student, Colleague, and Self-Evaluations. In Pescosolido,B.A. and R. Aminzade,eds.,The Social Worlds of Higher Education: Handbook for Teaching in a New Century. California: Pine Forge Press
Thomas, D., Ribich, F., & Freie, J. (1982). The relationship between psychological identification with instructors and student evaluations of college courses. Instructional Science 11(2), 139-154.
Tollefson, N., Chen, J. S., & Kleinsasser, A. (1989). The relationship of students' attitudes about effective teaching to students' evaluations of effective teaching. Educational and Psychology, 49(3). 529-536.
Weimer, M. & Lenze, L. F. (1997). Instructional interventions: A review of the literature on efforts to improve instruction. In R. Perry and J. Smart (eds.), Effective Teaching in Higher Education: Research and Practice. New York: Agathon Press.
Williams, W. M., & Ceci, S. J. (1997). "How'm I doing?" Problems with student evaluations of instructors and courses. Change, September/October, 13-23.
Wilson, R. C., Gaff, J. G., Dienst, E.R, Wood, L., Bavry, J.L. (1975). College Professors and their Impact on Students. New York: Wiley.
Abrami, P. C., Leventhal, L., & Perry, R. P. (1982). Educational seduction. Review of Educational Research, 52, 446-464.
Abrami, P. C., & Mizener, D. A. (1985). Student/Instructor attitude similarity, student evaluations and course performance. Journal of Educational Psychology, 77(6), 693-702.
Aleamoni, L. M. (1987). Typical Faculty concerns about student evaluation of teaching. In Techniques for evaluation and improving instruction. New Directions for teaching and learning. L. M. Aleamoni (ed.). No. 31. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Aleamoni, L. M., & Hexner, P. Z. (1980). A review of the research on student evaluation and a report on the effect of different sets of instructions on student course and instructor evaluation. Instructional Science, 9, 67-84.
Arreola, R. A. (1995). Developing a comprehensive faculty evaluation system: A handbook for college faculty and administrators. Bolton, MA: Anker Publishing Co.
Braskamp, L. A., and Ory, J. C. (1994). Assessing Faculty Work. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.
Brown, J. (1998). 10 ways to get better student evaluations: 2 that may actually work. Core Issues, 8, 1-7. (York University newsletter).
Centra, J. A. (1993). Reflective faculty evaluation: Enhancing teaching and determining faculty effectiveness. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Centra, J. A. (1994). Current Issues in Evaluating and Improving College Teaching. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association (AERA) meeting in Atlanta, April.
Cohen, P. A. (1981). Student evaluations of instruction and student achievement: A meta--analysis of multi-section validity studies. Review of Educational Research, 51, 281-309.
Costin, F., Greenough, W. T., & Menges, R. J. (1971). Student evaluations of college teaching: Reliability, validity, and usefulness. Review of Educational Research, 41, 511-535.
d'Apollonia, S., & Abrami, P. C. (1997a). Navigating student evaluations of instruction. American Psychologist, 52, 1198-1208.
d'Apollonia, S., & Abrami, P. C. (1997b). In Response. Change, September/October, 18-19.
Erdle, S., Murray, H. G., & Rushton, J. P. (1985). Personality, classroom behavior and student evaluations of college teaching effectiveness: A path analysis. Journal of Educational Psychology, 77(4), 394-407.
Feldman, K. A. (1978). Course Characteristics and College Students' Ratings of their Own Teachers: What We Know and What We Don't. Research in Higher Education, 9, 199-242.
Feldman, K. A. (1986). The perceived instructional effectiveness of college teachers as related to their personality and attitudinal characteristics: A review and synthesis. Research in Higher Education, 24(2), 139-213.
Feldman, K. A. (1989). The association between student evaluations of specific instructional dimensions and student achievement: Refining and extending the synthesis of data from multi-section validity studies. Research in Higher Education, 30, 137-194.
Frey, P. W. (1978). A two-dimensional analysis of student evaluations of instruction. Research in Higher Education, 9, 69-91.
Greenwald, A. G., & Gillmore, G. M. (1997). Grading leniency is a removable contaminant of student evaluations. American Psychologist, 52, 1209- 1217.
Greenwald, A. G. (1997). Validity concerns and usefulness of student evaluations of instruction, American Psychologist, 52, 1182-1186.
Grush, J. E., & Costin, F. (1975). The student as consumer of the teaching process. American Educational Research Journal, 12, 55-66. Marsh, H. W. (1977). The validity of students' evaluations: Classroom evaluation of instructors independently nominated as best and worst teachers by graduating seniors. American Educational Journal, 14, 441-447.
Marsh, H. W. (1984). Students' evaluations of university teaching: Dimensionality, reliability, validity, potential biases, and utility. Journal of Educational Psychology, 76, 707-754.
Marsh, H. W. (1987). Students' evaluations of university teaching: Research findings, methodological issues, and directions for future research. International Journal of Educational Research, 11, 253-388.
Marsh, H. W., and Dunkin, M. J. (1997). “Students' evaluations of university teaching”. In R. Perry and J. Smart (eds.), Effective Teaching in Higher Education: Research and Practice. New York: Agathon Press.
Marsh, H. W., & Overall, J. U. (1979). Midterm feedback from students: Its relationship to instructional improvement and students' cognitive and affective outcomes. Journal of Educational Psychology, 71, 856-865.
Marsh, H. W., & Roche, L. A. (1997). Making students' evaluation teaching effectiveness effective: The critical issues of validity, bias, and utility. American Psychologist, 52, 1187-1197.
Marsh, H. W., & Ware, J. E. (1982). Effects of expressiveness, content coverage, and incentive on multidimensional student evaluation scales: New interpretations of the Dr. Fox effect. Journal of Educational Psychology, 74, 126-134.
McKeachie, W. J. (1990). Research on College Teaching: The Historical Background. Journal of Educational Psychology, 82, 189-200.
McKeachie, W. J. (1997). The validity of use. American Psychologist, 52, 1218- 1225.
McKeachie, W. J., Lin, Y., & Mendelson, C. N. (1978). A small study assessing teacher effectiveness: Does reaming last? Contemporary Educational Psychology, 3, 352-357.
Murray, H. G. (1996). "Does Evaluation of Teaching Lead to Improvement of Teaching?" Submitted to International Journal of Academic Development,
Murray, H. G. (1983). Low inference classroom teaching behaviors and student evaluations of college teaching effectiveness. Journal of Educational Psychology, 71, 856-865.
Murray, H. G. (1984). The impact of formative and summative evaluation of leaching in North American universities. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education. 9, 117-131.
Phillips, P. (1998). Student views of student evaluations of teaching: Core Issues, York University newsletter, 8, 9-11.
Sorcinelli, M. D. (1999). The Evaluation of Teaching: The 40–Year Debate about Student, Colleague, and Self-Evaluations. In Pescosolido,B.A. and R. Aminzade,eds.,The Social Worlds of Higher Education: Handbook for Teaching in a New Century. California: Pine Forge Press
Thomas, D., Ribich, F., & Freie, J. (1982). The relationship between psychological identification with instructors and student evaluations of college courses. Instructional Science 11(2), 139-154.
Tollefson, N., Chen, J. S., & Kleinsasser, A. (1989). The relationship of students' attitudes about effective teaching to students' evaluations of effective teaching. Educational and Psychology, 49(3). 529-536.
Weimer, M. & Lenze, L. F. (1997). Instructional interventions: A review of the literature on efforts to improve instruction. In R. Perry and J. Smart (eds.), Effective Teaching in Higher Education: Research and Practice. New York: Agathon Press.
Williams, W. M., & Ceci, S. J. (1997). "How'm I doing?" Problems with student evaluations of instructors and courses. Change, September/October, 13-23.
Wilson, R. C., Gaff, J. G., Dienst, E.R, Wood, L., Bavry, J.L. (1975). College Professors and their Impact on Students. New York: Wiley.
Published
2005-06-02
Section
Articles