Recently graduated university students from all Australian Universities rate their overall departmental and university experiences (DUEs), and their responses (N = 44,932, 41 institutions) are used by the government to benchmark departments and universities. We evaluate this DUE strategy of rating overall departments and universities rather than…

The National Student Survey (NSS) of course experience satisfaction is sent to final year students of all higher education institutions in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales (N = 171,290 and 157,342 students in 2005 and 2006) and results are made publicly available. The present investigation assesses the reliability and appropriate use…

This study is a methodological-substantive synergy, demonstrating the power and flexibility of exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM) methods that integrate confirmatory and exploratory factor analyses (CFA and EFA), as applied to substantively important questions based on multidimentional students' evaluations of university teaching…

Do university teachers, like good wine, improve with age? The purpose of this methodological/substantive study is to apply a multiple-level growth modeling approach to the long-term stability of students' evaluations of teaching effectiveness (SETs). For a diverse cohort of 195 teachers who were evaluated continuously over 13 years (6,024 classes,…

Abrami and d'Apollonia dispute previous findings of the multidimensionality of students' evaluations of teaching effectiveness, but their analysis has several weaknesses, particularly in the failure to distinguish between exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Support for the multidimensional perspective remains strong. (SLD)

Evaluated multidimensional students evaluations of teaching (SETs), workload (workload for students), grades, perceived learning, and background variables through confirmatory factor analysis of previously published data. Results show that SETs and teaching effectiveness can both be improved by increasing good workload and decreasing bad workload.…

Over 1,000 undergraduate and graduate business administration majors from 100 different classes provided course and instructor evaluations at the end of each class, and again at least one year after program completion. Results showed large and statistically significant correlations between end-of-term and retrospective ratings. (Author/GDC)

Students' evaluations of university teachers cannot be adequately understood if their multidimensionality is ignored. Instruments collecting student evaluations of teaching should measure separate components of teaching effectiveness with consideration of the construct validity and content validity of the multiple dimensions. (SLD)

The validity of students' evaluations of university teacher effectiveness must be demonstrated through a construct validation approach. Empirical relations between students' evaluations of teaching effectiveness (such as the Students' Evaluation of Educational Quality instrument) and other indicators of effective teaching are examined. (SLD)

A multitrait-multimethod (MTMM) matrix was formed in which nine evaluation dimensions were the multiple traits, and different offerings of the same course were the multiple methods. Findings from the MTMM analysis and confirmatory factor analysis provide strong evidence for the multidimensionality of student ratings. (Author/BW)

Studies of the usefulness of student ratings of university teachers are often inadequate. The wide range of questions about how students use the other students' evaluations and how these evaluations can be used by administration and faculty to improve teacher effectiveness is a rich field for further research. (SLD)

In five studies, the applicability of two North American instruments for student evaluation of teacher performance was assessed at the University of Western Sydney (Macarthur, Australia). Results of a multitrait-multimethod analysis indicate the instruments are applicable at this institution and across diverse educational settings. (Author/MSE)

The reliability, long-term stability, and generalizability of student ratings of teacher effectiveness are discussed. The Students' Evaluation of Educational Quality (SEEQ) instrument is examined from these perspectives. The multidimensionality of student response to such evaluation instruments must be recognized. (SLD)

Methodological problems have so biased the search for potential biases in student ratings of university teachers that the search itself has approximated a witch hunt. Meta-analysis and systematic review are required for more accurate estimates of the size of effects that have been reported and the conditions under which they were found. (SLD)

A paradigm is described for studying the applicability of two North American instruments (the Students' Evaluation of Educational Quality and Frey's Endeavor) to other countries. Factor analyses of studies in Australia, Spain, and Papua New Guinea support the generality of the instruments' factors to the educational contexts of other countries.…