Student evaluations of teaching (SET) are widely used in both North America and the UK as a means of documenting and improving teaching quality. This article discusses current research on SET administration and interpretation in both regions. Sections of the article are dedicated to various problems associated with SETs and how these may be addressed. Attention is focused on the underlying theme of engaging students to become active participants in improving teacher quality. Given the large investment in SETs and the strong likelihood that they will continue to be used to measure teaching effectiveness and learning outcomes, it is important to maximise the practical information gained from them.