Abstract
The reliability and validity of student ratings depend as much on accurate interpretation and use of results as on the psychometric properties of the instruments used. While research has shown that many faculty and administrators are not sufficiently trained to use ratings data accurately, their skills can be improved, and they can benefit from the development of carefully designed reports of results that provide the most understandable and usable information. This chapter discusses general issues dealing with interpreting ratings; it reports a study of faculty thinking about ratings results; and it offers guidelines for improved practice.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Arreola, R. A. (1994). Developing a comprehensive faculty evaluation system. Bolton MA: Anker Publications.
Astin, A. W., Comstock, C., Epperson, D. C., Greeley, A. M., Katz, J., & Kauffman, J. F. (1974). Faculty development in a time of retrenchment. Greenwich, CT: The Group for Human Development in Higher Education; Change Magazine.
Cashin, W. E. (1990). Students do rate different academic fields differently. In M. Theall & J. Franklin (Eds), Student ratings of instruction: issues for improving practice. New Directions for Teaching and Learning 43. San Francisco: Jossey Bass.
Centra, J. A. (1979). Determining faculty effectiveness. San Francisco: Jossey Bass.
Cohen, P. A. (1980). Effectiveness of student rating feedback for improving college instruction: A meta-analysis of findings. Research in Higher Education, 13(4), 321–431.
Cohen, P. A. (1981). Student ratings of instruction and student achievement: A meta-analysis of multisection validity studies. Review of Educational Research, 31(3), 281–309.
Donald, J. G. (1995). Disciplinary differences in knowledge validation. In N. Hativa & M. Marincovich (Eds.), Disciplinary differences in teaching and learning: Implications for practice. New Directions for Teaching and Learning 64. San Francisco: Jossey Bass.
Doyle, K. O. (1983). Evaluating teaching. Lexington, MA: D. C. Heath.
Eble, K. (Ed.) (1980). Improving teaching styles. New Directions for Teaching and Learning 1. San Francisco: Jossey Bass.
Feldman, K. A. (1976a). Grades and college students’ evaluations of their courses and teachers. Research in Higher Education, 4, 69–111.
Feldman, K. A. (1976b). The superior college teacher from the students’ view. Research in Higher Education, 5, 243–288.
Feldman, K. A. (1978). Course characteristics and college students’ ratings of their teachers: What we know and what we don’t. Research in Higher Education, 9, 199–242.
Feldman, K. A. (1984). Class size and college students’ evaluations of teachers and courses: A closer look. Research in Higher Education, 21(1), 45–116.
Feldman, K. A. (1995). Some unresolved issues in studying instructional effectiveness in student ratings. Paper presented at the 76th annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association. San Francisco: April.
Franklin, J., & Berman, E. (1998). Using student written comments in evaluating teaching. Instructional Evaluation and Faculty Development, 18(1&2), 7–10. Available on-line at: http://www.uis.edu/~ctl/sigfed/backissues.html
Franklin, J., & Theall, M. (1989). Who reads ratings: Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of users of student ratings of instruction. Paper presented at the 70th annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association. San Francisco: March. ERIC ED 306 241.
Franklin, J., & Theall, M. (1990). Communicating student ratings to decision makers: Design for good practice. In M. Theall & J. Franklin (Eds.), Student ratings of instruction: Issues for improving practice. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 43. San Francisco: Jossey Bass.
Franklin, J., & Theall, M. (1991). Grade inflation and student ratings: A closer look. Paper presented at the 72nd annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association. Chicago: April. ERIC ED 349 318.
Franklin, J., & Theall, M. (1992). Disciplinary differences, instructional goals and activities, measures of student performance, and student ratings of instruction. Paper presented at the 73rd annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association. San Francisco: April.
Franklin, J., & Theall, M. (1994). Student ratings of instruction and sex differences revisited. Paper presented at the 75th annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association. New Orleans: April.
Franklin, J., & Theall, M. (1995). The relationship of disciplinary differences and the value of class preparation time to student ratings of instruction. In N. Hativa & M. Marincovich (Eds), Disciplinary differences in teaching and learning: Implications for practice. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 64. San Francisco: Jossey Bass.
Gillmore, G., Greenwald, A., Abrami, P. C, d’Apollonia, S., Marsh, H. W., & Roche, L. (1998). Debate presented at the 79th annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association. San Diego: April.
Haskell, R. (1997). Academic freedom, tenure, and student evaluations of faculty: Galloping polls in the 21st century. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 5(6). Available on-line at: http://olam.ed.asu.edu/epaa
Hativa, N. (1999). Expert university teachers: Thinking, knowledge, and practice regarding effective teaching behaviors. Paper presented at the 80th annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association. Montreal: April.
Keller, J. M. (1987). Development and use of the ‘ARCS’ model of instructional design. Journal of Instructional Development, 10(3), 2–10.
Marsh, H. W. (1987). Student evaluations of university teaching: Research findings, methodological issues, and directions for future research. International Journal of Educational Research, 11, 253–388.
McKeachie, W. J. (1997). Do we need norms of student ratings to evaluate faculty? Instructional Evaluation and Faculty Development, 15(1&2), 14–17.
Miller, R. I. (1986). Evaluating faculty for promotion and tenure (p. 12). San Francisco: Jossey Bass.
Murray, H. G. (1991). Effective teaching behaviors in the college classroom. In J. C. Smart (Ed.), Higher education handbook of theory and research (pp. 135–172). New York: Agathon.
Ory, J. C, & Weities, R. (1991). A longitudinal study of faculty selection of ICES student evaluation items. Paper presented at the 72nd annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association. Chicago: April.
Theall, M. (Ed.) (1999). Motivation from within: Approaches for encouraging faculty and students to excel. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 78. San Francisco: Jossey Bass.
Theall, M., & Franklin, J. (Eds.) (1990a). Student ratings of instruction: Issues for improving practice. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 43. San Francisco: Jossey Bass.
Theall, M., & Franklin, J. (1990b). Student ratings in the context of complex evaluation systems. In M. Theall & J. Franklin (Eds.), Student ratings of instruction: Issues for improving practice. New Directions for Teaching and Learning 43. San Francisco: Jossey Bass.
Theall, M., Franklin, J. L., & Ludlow, L. (1990). Attributions and retributions: Student ratings and the perceived causes of performance. Paper presented at the 70th annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association. Boston: April. ERIC ED 319-764.
Theall, M., & Franklin, J. (1991). Using student ratings for teaching improvement. In M. Theall & J. Franklin (Eds.), Effective practices for improving teaching. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 48. San Francisco: Jossey Bass.
Weiner, B. (1974). Achievement motivation and attribution theory. Morristown, NJ: General Learning Press.
Williams, W. M., & Ceci, S. J. (1997). How’m I doing? Problems with student ratings of instructors and courses. Change Magazine, September/October, 13–23.
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2002 Kluwer Academic Publishers
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Franklin, J., Theall, M. (2002). (Thinking about) Faculty Thinking about Teacher and Course Evaluation Results. In: Hativa, N., Goodyear, P. (eds) Teacher Thinking, Beliefs and Knowledge in Higher Education. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-0593-7_8
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-010-0593-7_8
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-1-4020-0095-9
Online ISBN: 978-94-010-0593-7
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive