Does the student evaluation of teaching instrument really measure instructors’ teaching effectiveness? An econometric analysis of students’ perceptions in economics courses

Abstract

While the student evaluation of teaching (SET) has been an intensely researched area in higher education there has been little research using the individual student responses on their perceptions of instructors’ effectiveness (TEVAL) score. This research delivers a methodological breakthrough as it fills this gap by employing individual student responses from an elite Australian university and partial proportional odds model to investigate the influence of students’ perceptions of instructional attributes included in the SET instrument and other variables on TEVAL score. The findings indicate clear presentation and explanation, and well-organized classes were key determinants of TEVAL scores. Emphasis on thinking rather than memorizing was less influential. Intermediate level courses and non-English speaking background instructors received lower ratings. Elective courses and instructors below associate professor attracted higher ratings. SET instrument currently used fails to provide a valid measure of teaching quality as it does little to measure the extent of students’ actual learning. This paper underscores the need to incorporate variables typifying diversity of student population including academic performance, discipline destination, ethno-linguistic background, age, sex, indicators of students’ effort. It raises broader implications such as sub-scales, inclusion of items on course contents, intellectual challenge, real world applications, and problem-solving skills.