The accuracy of various evaluation methods for assessing teacher effectiveness was investigated. College instructors (n=43) were rated by students, colleagues, trained classroom raters, former students, and themselves. Results indicate these methods to be more valid than prior research would suggest. (BS)

Faculty and students rated profiles of 100 hypothetical instructors. Findings suggest that valid systems of instructional evaluation should focus on amount of information, arousal of student interest, presentation style, and general knowledge of the field. The relative importance of content to style dimensions was slightly greater for faculty…

Examined the effects of gender, status, and effective teaching on the evaluation of college instruction. Scenarios manipulating the status of professors relative to these variables were presented to subjects. Some gender bias was determined; however, effective teaching was the most important influence on evaluations. (KO)

In the context of the movement in the United Kingdom toward competency-based certification for teachers, it is argued that the qualification of postsecondary teachers be based on an interactive model of competence, and that teacher trainers be involved in development of competency statements that reflect occupational roles without prescribing them…

The rapid growth of online learning has led to the development of faculty inservice evaluation models focused on quality improvement of degree programs. Based on current "best practices" of student online assessment, the Online Faculty Development and Assessment System (OFDAS), created at the Canary Islands, was designed to serve the…

This book presents 11 contributed papers which examine communication aspects of the department chair position in academia. It is noted that most academic department chairs are not trained in management skills, including communication strategies. After an introductory chapter by Christopher H. Spicer and Ann Q. Staton, the following papers are…

The Napier University Business School, Edinburgh, Scotland and the Katholieke Universiteit, Leuven, Belgium embarked on a 3-year collaborative research project to evaluate lecturing techniques at Napier and to compare the results of the evaluation at Napier with those achieved at Leuven. Leuven had developed the EVADOC Questionnaire to monitor…

Since July 1, 1985, all new faculty appointed to tenure-track positions in the San Diego Community College District (SDCCD) have been subject to a promotion process which has been modified twice in the past 2 years. In addition, a new evaluation procedure and instrument have been adopted, and a competitive "Merit Step Advancement" feature has been…

What users of student ratings of instruction know about ratings and what they need to know to make valid and reliable use of ratings data were studied. An item bank of 153 multiple-choice items was developed from sources of information about student ratings. The full item bank had five subsets: (1) knowledge of ratings concepts; (2) knowledge of…

A survey was done to assess whether institutions of higher education are recognizing the contributions made by their faculty who are teaching in adult/continuing education and extension programs by integrating these services into the institution's faculty evaluation and reward system. The administrations from over 170 private and public…

The main argument is that standards for certifying teachers are too lax. It is argued that this might have been acceptable when there was a shortage of teachers, but, now that there is an oversupply of teachers, it is time to certify only the best qualified. The author criticizes certification practices which ignore thoretical standards and…

This study investigates the relationship of (1) previous course-instructor rating feedback, (2) class size, and (3) various instructor personal characteristics, with the tendency of college instructors to make large errors in predicting course-instructor ratings by their students. Significant over- and under-predictors were identified for each of…

Initiating an individualized approach to instruction must begin with an assessment of the needs and goals of the teachers. To provide this analysis, a diagnostic system was built, consisting of an inventory of teaching and learning needs and of procedures for implementing a learning plan based on this inventory. A one hundred and four item…

The author of this study used content analysis as the methodology by which to examine student evaluations of community college faculty. The study sought to answer three questions: (1) What is the nature of faculty evaluation of teaching effectiveness in the community colleges of Virginia and Maryland? (2) What is the nature of the student forms…

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)