ERIC Number: ED202911
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 1981-Apr-16
Pages: 15
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Profile Uniqueness in Student Ratings of Instruction.
Weber, Larry J.; Frary, Robert B.
An approach to partitioning the variance in student ratings not previously reported in the literature is described. The new approach provides an alternative basis for interpreting faculty evaluations that overcome objections to current practices. Student responses on evaluation forms were cluster-analyzed to establish homogeneous subgroups of students within classes who exhibited distinct evaluation profiles. All classes were subjected to profile analysis for parallels across groups. Results caused investigators to seriously question the continued use of traditional methods of interpreting student ratings on the basis of averaging responses across each item and reporting the resulting means. The investigators recommend reporting profiles from clusters of student ratings as far superior to the typical reporting of evaluation results. That is, it is more sensible to emphasize the existence of differing rating constituencies than to obscure them through averaging. An approach such as the one proposed would prevent invidious comparisons between instructors based on small scale differences and would provide both administrators and instructors with much more concrete bases for decision making. (Author/GK)
Publication Type: Speeches/Meeting Papers; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A