The purpose of this study was to investigate two questions pertaining to student evaluation of teachers. These are: (1) Do students indeed provide the instructor with information about instructional practices that he doesn't already know? and (2) If this is the case, to what extent is it true at a variety of colleges and for a significant proportion of instructors? The study was conducted by comparing student ratings or descriptions of instruction with the teachers' own self-reported descriptions. The correlation between the 2 sets of descriptions or ratings were not particularly high, indicating only modest agreement in the way faculty and students perceived instruction. In particular, instructors and students did not agree on the extent to which students are free to ask questions or give opinions in class, on the extent to which instructors are concerned with student learning, on the amount of agreement between objectives and what is being taught, on instructor openness to other viewpoints, on the extent to which instructors inform students of how they would be evaluated, on whether the instructor encourages students to think for themselves, and on the clarity of course objectives. These discripancies between the 2 sets of ratings not only underscore the need for student feedback, but also suggest specific areas of instruction where feedback is most essential. (HS)