What Practical use is Made of Student Evaluations of Teaching? : WestminsterResearch

Title	What Practical use is Made of Student Evaluations of Teaching?
Authors	Knowles, D. and Hindley, C.
Type	Conference paper
Abstract	Student evaluations of teaching (SETs) are an accepted method of investigating the impact of lecturers’ work with students. Although research generally shows that student evaluations are a positive development, conflicting research on the reliability and validity of the methods used leads to our overall research objective of discovering what practical use is made of the evaluation data by lecturers. Particular focus is placed on the lecturers’ attitude to the use of quantitative and qualitative questions and the reliability of the evaluations as an effective tool. Considerations include the halo effect, students’ ability to accurately assess course content, the influence of assessment grading, and fundamentally the fitness of this instrument for the purpose of acquiring useful, objective data. In a global context SETs may be used by institutions for recruitment or promotion purposes. However, in Europe they tend to be regarded as confidential documents seen only by individual course leaders and senior management at faculty level. They are therefore more commonly expected to be used by the lecturers themselves as evidence of particular necessary steps that would improve course quality and student satisfaction. With regard to the use to which the evaluation results may be put, a certain cynicism is evident among lecturers who perhaps shrink from a perceived obligation to cater to the demands of the student in the role of consumer. Such evaluations include both quantitative and qualitative measurements, generally concentrating on the quantitative as a useful tool to produce statistically comparable data. This initial study uses interviews with lecturers and senior faculty staff at a German private business school and examines their perceptions of the procedures, including their assessment of the effectiveness and use of the results of SETs of their undergraduate students. The data analysis shows a diverse attitude to the evaluations and the call for more open debate and agreement on the format, reliability and use of these evaluations.
Keywords	Business School, Lecturer perceptions; Quality of university teaching; Reliability; Student evaluations of Teaching; Validity
Year	2014
Conference	European Conference on Research Methodology for Business and Management Studies
Accepted author manuscript	Hindley & Knowles 2014 ECRM.pdf

Related outputs

You scratch my back, and I scratch yours: Bartering for qualitative data
Chitac, I., Knowles, D. and Dhaliwal, S. 2021. You scratch my back, and I scratch yours: Bartering for qualitative data. British Academy of Management (BAM) Conference 2021. Lancaster, UK 31 Aug - 03 Sep 2021 British Academy of Management.

Ethi(cs)quette of (Re)searching with E-friends: Clicking Towards a Social Media-driven Research Agenda
Chitac, I., Knowles, D. and Dhaliwal, S. 2020. Ethi(cs)quette of (Re)searching with E-friends: Clicking Towards a Social Media-driven Research Agenda. British Academy of Management (BAM) Conference 2020. Alliance Manchester Business School I University of Manchester 02 - 04 Sep 2020 British Academy of Management.

The Quest for Deeper Understanding in Interpretative Research: Hidden Meaning in Plain Sight
Chitac, I., Knowles, D. and Dhaliwal, S. 2020. The Quest for Deeper Understanding in Interpretative Research: Hidden Meaning in Plain Sight . British Academy of Management (BAM) Conference 2020. Alliance Manchester Business School I University of Manchester 02 - 04 Sep 2020 British Academy of Management.

Learning atmospheres: Re-imagining management education through the dérive
Michels, C., Hindley, C., Knowles, D. and Ruth, D. 2020. Learning atmospheres: Re-imagining management education through the dérive. Management Learning. 51 (5), pp. 559-578. https://doi.org/10.1177/1350507620906673

Accessing the inaccessible: e-sampling via Facebook (867)
Chitac, I. and Knowles, D. 2019. Accessing the inaccessible: e-sampling via Facebook (867). British Academy of Management Conference 2019 (BAM 2019). British Academy of Management.

Teaching research methods: Introducing a psychogeographical approach
Hindley, C., Knowles, D. and Ruth, D. 2019. Teaching research methods: Introducing a psychogeographical approach. Journal of Management & Organization. 28 (6), pp. 1321-1333. https://doi.org/10.1017/jmo.2019.15

Crisis as a plague on organisation: Defoe and A Journal of the Plague Year
Knowles, D., Hindley, C. and Ruth, D. 2019. Crisis as a plague on organisation: Defoe and A Journal of the Plague Year. Journal of Organizational Change Management. 32 (6), pp. 640-649. https://doi.org/10.1108/JOCM-03-2019-0074

Gender Differentiation in Media Industries. Man-made media? Muted Women
Knowles, D., Clarke, L., Michielsens, E. and Snijders, S. 2018. Gender Differentiation in Media Industries. Man-made media? Muted Women.

The use of Fiction in Management Research: The Journey of Ulysses
Knowles, D., Hindley, C. and Ruth, D. 2017. The use of Fiction in Management Research: The Journey of Ulysses. European Conference on Methodology in Business and Management Studies . Dublin Institute of Technology, Dublin, Republic of Ireland 21 - 23 Jun 2017

A Day in the Life of ... Ulysses in Dublin
Knowles, D. 2017. A Day in the Life of ... Ulysses in Dublin. European Group for Organizational Studies 2017. Copenhagen, Denmark 05 - 08 Jul 2017

Manmade Media? The Muffled Voices of Women
Knowles, D., Snijders, S., Clarke, L., Michielsens, E. and Goodacre, H. 2017. Manmade Media? The Muffled Voices of Women. 10th Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Conference. Brunel Business School, Brunel University London 28 - 30 Jun 2017

Psychogeography in a Time of Calamity: Dériving with Defoe
Knowles, D., Ruth, D. and Hindley, C. 2016. Psychogeography in a Time of Calamity: Dériving with Defoe. Benson, V. and Filippaios, F. (ed.) European Conference on Research Methodology in Business and Management Studies. Kingston University, Kingston-on-Thames, UK 08 - 10 Jun 2016 Academic Conferences and Publishing International.

Psychogeography for Student Researchers: a case for the dérive
Hindley, C., Knowles, D. and Ruth, D. 2015. Psychogeography for Student Researchers: a case for the dérive. Bezzina, F. and Cassar, V. (ed.) European Conference on Research Methods in Business and Management . University of Malta 10 - 12 Jun 2015 Academic Conferences and Publishing International.

Performance and performativity: undoing fictions of women business owners
Phillips, M. and Knowles, D. 2011. Performance and performativity: undoing fictions of women business owners. Gender, Work and Organization. 19 (4), pp. 416-437. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-0432.2010.00528.x

Claiming the streets: feminist implications of psychogeography as a business research method
Knowles, D. 2009. Claiming the streets: feminist implications of psychogeography as a business research method. Electronic Journal of Business Research Methods. 7 (1), pp. 47-54.

The strolling study: psychogeography for organisational researchers
Knowles, D. 2008. The strolling study: psychogeography for organisational researchers. British Academy of Management Conference 2008 (BAM2008). Majestic Hotel, Harrogate 9 - 11 Sep 2008

My colleagues and my filing cabinet: insider research access for part-time post-graduate students
Knowles, D. 2008. My colleagues and my filing cabinet: insider research access for part-time post-graduate students. in: Proceedings of the 7th European Conference on Research Methods for Business and Management Studies held at Regent’s College, London, 19-20 June 2008 Academic Conferences and Publishing International. pp. 201-208

Foreign language use among decision-makers of successfully internationalised SMEs: questioning the language-training paradigm
Knowles, D., Mughan, T. and Lloyd-Reason, L. 2006. Foreign language use among decision-makers of successfully internationalised SMEs: questioning the language-training paradigm. Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development. 13 (4), pp. 620-641. https://doi.org/10.1108/14626000610705787

Measures and self-reported sources of success of women business owners
Knowles, D. 2006. Measures and self-reported sources of success of women business owners. 11th Annual Symposium of the Academy of Marketing Special Interest Group in Entrepreneurial and Small Business Marketing. Lincoln, UK 04-06 Jan 2006

Learning from longitudinal research into women's experience of business ownership
Knowles, D. 2006. Learning from longitudinal research into women's experience of business ownership. in: Proceedings of the European Conference on Research Methodology for Business and Management Studies (ECRM 2006), Trinity College Dublin, Ireland, 17-18 July 2006 Academic Conferences and Publishing International. pp. 219-226

Financing strategies of women small business owners
Knowles, D. 2005. Financing strategies of women small business owners. 2005 50th World Conference of ICSB: Golden Opportunities for Entrepreneurship. Washington, USA 15-18 Jun 2005

"Torn between the two": work/life balance of women small business owners
Knowles, D. 2005. "Torn between the two": work/life balance of women small business owners. Gender, Work and Organisation: 4th International Interdisciplinary Conference. Keele, UK 22-24 Jun 2005

"In the eye of the beholder": women entrepreneurs' measures and sources of success
Knowles, D. 2005. "In the eye of the beholder": women entrepreneurs' measures and sources of success. BAM 2005: Challenges of Organizations in Global Markets. Oxford, UK 13-15 Sep 2005

Segregated authority: first-line manager roles in single gender reporting lines
Knowles, D. and Hales, C. 2003. Segregated authority: first-line manager roles in single gender reporting lines. British Academy of Management Conference 2003 (BAM2003). Harrogate, UK 15-17 Sep 2003

Ditch-dragging and bridge-building: working towards interdisciplinarity in women's entrpreneurship research
Knowles, D. 2003. Ditch-dragging and bridge-building: working towards interdisciplinarity in women's entrpreneurship research. 13th Annual Small Business and Enterprise Development Conference. Surrey, UK 03-04 Apr 2003

What do we learn from longitudinal research?: second interviews with women entrepreneurs
Knowles, D. 2002. What do we learn from longitudinal research?: second interviews with women entrepreneurs. Small Business and Enterprise Development Conference: theoretical and empirical advances in internal entrepreneurship. Nottingham, UK 15-16 Apr 2002

Gendering first-line management roles
Hales, C. and Knowles, D. 2002. Gendering first-line management roles. Employment Research Unit Annual Conference. Cardiff, UK 12-13 Sep 2002

From supervisors to team co-ordinators and business unit managers: a reconfiguration or reconceptualisation of the role of first-line manager
Knowles, D. and Hales, C. 2001. From supervisors to team co-ordinators and business unit managers: a reconfiguration or reconceptualisation of the role of first-line manager. British Academy of Management Conference 2001 (BAM2001). Cardiff, UK 05-07 Sep 2001

Permalink - https://westminsterresearch.westminster.ac.uk/item/q2y74/what-practical-use-is-made-of-student-evaluations-of-teaching

What Practical use is Made of Student Evaluations of Teaching?

Related outputs

Share this

Usage statistics

Export as