ERIC Number: ED177205
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1979-Apr
Pages: 39
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Validity of Students' Evaluations of Teaching: A Comparison with Instructor Self Evaluations by Teaching Assistants, Undergraduate Faculty and Graduate Faculty.
Marsh, Herbert W.; Overall, J. U.
College instructors evaluted the quality of their own teaching and were evaluated by their students in 331 different courses. Student evaluations of teaching correlated with instructor self evaluations in courses taught by teaching assistants, in undergraduate courses taught by faculty, and in graduate level courses, demonstrating their validity at all levels of university teaching. Both student and instructor ratings were reliable, and separate factor analyses indicated that the same nine evaluation factors influenced both sets of ratings: learning/value; instructor enthusiasm; organization; group interaction; individual rapport; breadth of coverage; examinations/grading; value of assignments; and workload/difficulty. Student-instructor agreement on each factor was independent of the factor's agreement with other factors. While correlations between student and instructor ratings on the same factors were high, correlations between their ratings on different factors were low. This finding supports the distinctiveness of the different factors, as well as the use of multifactor evaluation instruments developed with the use of factor analytic techniques. These findings establish the validity and accuracy of student evaluations at all levels of university teaching, and suggest the possible usefulness of instructor self evaluations. (Questionnaires are appended.) (Author/MH)
Descriptors: College Faculty, Course Evaluation, Evaluation Criteria, Factor Analysis, Faculty Evaluation, Graduate Students, Higher Education, Questionnaires, Reliability, Research Reports, Self Evaluation, Student Evaluation of Teacher Performance, Teacher Effectiveness, Teaching Assistants, Undergraduate Students, Validity
Publication Type: Speeches/Meeting Papers; Reports - Research; Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A