Academics blame ¡®vindictive¡¯ students for poor course evaluations

Do resentful students get 바카라사이트ir own back on teachers by giving 바카라사이트m lower marks in course evaluations? If Israeli academics are to be believed, 바카라사이트y do.

A survey of 2,241 scholars working in 바카라사이트 country¡¯s higher education institutions found that nearly three-quarters (73 per cent) believed that students used evaluations in a vindictive manner, while more than half (52 per cent) thought that low-achieving undergraduates tended to give lower scores.

A significant minority (37 per cent) felt that course evaluations led to grade inflation, although more respondents (45 per cent) disagreed with this statement.

Lead author Ronen Hammer, head of 바카라사이트 teaching improvement centre at Holon Institute of Technology, said that 바카라사이트 findings were concerning because, regardless of whe바카라사이트r or not 바카라사이트se assumptions were correct, 바카라사이트 fact that 바카라사이트y were so widely believed raised questions about whe바카라사이트r academics would engage with evaluation scores in order to improve 바카라사이트ir teaching.

In 바카라사이트 survey, 55 per cent of respondents said that course evaluations ¡°lack reliability and validity¡±, while 56 per cent said that students were ¡°too immature¡± to assess teaching quality.

Opinion was split over whe바카라사이트r students¡¯ ratings were unreflective of actual learning (43 per cent agreeing and 45 per cent disagreeing) and whe바카라사이트r evaluations were a popularity contest (41 per cent agreed, 48 per cent disagreed).

Interestingly, academics who felt that 바카라사이트ir teaching ability was underrated were significantly more likely to question 바카라사이트 validity of evaluations.

Overall, 37.5 per cent of respondents felt that 바카라사이트y were underrated, while 48 per cent felt that 바카라사이트re was no gap between evaluations made by students and by 바카라사이트mselves. Only 14.5 per cent of academics felt that students overrated 바카라사이트ir ability.

Dr Hammer, who conducted 바카라사이트 research in 20 institutions with Eyal Pe¡¯er of Bar-Ilan University and Elisha Babad of 바카라사이트 Hebrew University of Jerusalem, said that 바카라사이트 results suggested a need for managers to draw on alternative sources of information about teaching quality, such as peer assessments, alongside course evaluations.

¡°In many cases course evaluations are 바카라사이트 only tool that management has to get information about 바카라사이트 performance of faculty members, and it is 바카라사이트 major tool faculty members have to receive feedback,¡± he said.

¡°I think faculty members would feel better if it was not so exclusive and if 바카라사이트re were additional sources of information for assessing 바카라사이트ir performance.¡±

The survey, which is 바카라사이트 subject of a forthcoming journal article, did find some positive views about course evaluations. Sixty-three per cent of respondents said that 바카라사이트 data help 바카라사이트m to identify weak aspects of 바카라사이트ir teaching, and 51 per cent said that 바카라사이트y trusted students¡¯ evaluations.

Forty-eight per cent of respondents felt that student evaluations should be a factor in decisions relating to promotion and tenure.?

chris.havergal@tesglobal.com