A common criticism of student ratings of instruction is that they are affected by the personal style of the instructor rather than an instructor's ability to convey instructional material. It was found that instructor expressiveness had a substanial impact on student ratings but a small impact on student achievement. (Author/PN)

Six quantitative reviews of the research on student ratings of instructional effectiveness are examined. The disparate conclusions of the reviews are explained by comparing the syntheses at each of five steps in a meta-analysis: specifying inclusion criteria; locating studies; coding study features; calculating study outcomes; and data analysis.…

Two divergent views are contrasted: the multidimensional and the unidimensional views of faculty evaluation. The views of H. W. Marsh, the most outspoken advocate of the multidimensional view of evaluation based on factor scores, is summarized and a response to his concerns is presented. (Author/MLW)

Multidimensional rating forms used for college student evaluation of faculty elicit information that can be used to evaluate the dimensions of instruction either separately or globally. Portions of the information may be useful for formative evaluation, but global items are best for making personnel decisions. (MSE)

Primary research on student ratings of instruction is reviewed, and questions about the validity of such ratings as measures of teacher effectiveness are explored using nomological coding of 43 validity studies to examine causes of variability in coefficients of validity. Deficiencies of prior analyses and research needs are identified. (SLD)