Would student ratings of instruction be more lenient when students were informed that the results would be used for tenure, salary, or promotion purposes, than when told that the results would be used only by the instructor for improvement? In general, differences due to the different directions were not especially large nor consistent. (RC)

Student points of view in their ratings of courses and instructors were analyzed within three specific college courses and then generalized by analysis of a sample of responses from over 400 classes in five colleges. A factor analysis yielding three different student points of view is presented. (Author/JKS)

Student ratings of instruction were correlated with examination performance in 72 sections of seven courses. In two of the courses, students had been randomly assigned to sections. The pattern of correlations across the courses indicated that the global ratings of teacher effectiveness and of the value of the course to students were most highly…

Investigated whether mean expected grades and the level of difficulty/workload in courses, as related by students, unduly influence student ratings of instruction. Data for more than 50,000 courses were analyzed. Courses rated at the "just right" level received the highest evaluations. (SLD)

Analysis of data from 741 college classes in which there were at least 10 male and 10 female students revealed small gender preferences in student evaluations of teachers, particularly in female students rating female teachers. Teaching style rather than gender may explain these preferences. (Author/DB)

This study examined gender differences in student evaluation of teaching through two analyses. In the first, female and male student ratings in the same classes were compared for female and male instructors. In the second analysis, ratings by all male students are examined for how they differed for male and female instructors. Data came from 741…

The relationship between research productivity and teaching effectiveness was studied in 1979 and 1980 by considering faculty members at different career stages and in different academic fields. Two samples of faculty members were evaluated: 2,973 from 61 four-year institutions and 1,623 at 10 four-year colleges and universities that emphasized…

The validity of student ratings of instruction as assessed by the Student Instructional Report are reported in two studies. The first investigated correlations between ratings and achievement in 72 sections of seven courses in an attempt to answer the question: Do students learn more from teachers they rate as more effective? The second study…

Various means of evaluating teaching are discussed along with the pros and cons of using each method for improving teaching or making personnel decisions. (Editor/LBH)

Department heads from 134 institutions (mainly universities) indicated the weight they generally give to various criteria for evaluating individual faculty members. The questionnaire they responded to included: criteria used for evaluating overall faculty performance; sources of information for evaluating teaching; and kinds of information used…

Six evaluation methods are discussed: student ratings, colleague evaluations, definitions of good teaching, teacher-designed examinations, evaluation of research and scholarship, and the politics of evaluation. (Author/MLW)

Research on college teaching supports classifying teaching as much an art as a science. The expectation that student evaluation of teachers can result in exact teacher rankings is unrealistic and stifles the artistry in teaching. However, current evaluation techniques can yield broader classifications of effectiveness and help improve instruction.…

Student assessments and their possible effects on faculty performance and vitality are discussed. Two kinds of assessments considered are: (1) students' rating of individual courses and instruction, and (2) students' evaluation of the curriculum and teaching in their major field department. (MLW)

Analysis of the relationship between number of published articles and student ratings was undertaken for two large and diverse faculty groups. Elements of teacher effectiveness studied included course value, student-faculty interaction, course organization, communication, materials, course difficulty and workload, and tests. Only in the social…

A study investigated the use of teaching portfolios and student evaluations in evaluating 97 college faculty members for contract renewal. Two faculty peers and a dean evaluated the portfolio of each teacher. Student evaluations correlated reasonably well with portfolio evaluations by the deans and one of the peers. (Author/MSE)