University performance evaluations

What Are We Really Measuring

Datos Bibliográficos

ID4096896
AutoresRowan E Bedggood, Rowan Bedggood (Swinburne University of Technology, autor de correspondencia), Jerome D Donovan (0000-0002-0535-4102, Swinburne University of Technology)
Año2012
Volumen37
Número7
Páginas825-842
Fecha de publicación2012-11-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessNo
TipoARTICLE
RevistaStudies in Higher Education (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0307-5079 • E-ISSN: 1470-174X
EditorialInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/03075079.2010.549221
OpenAlexW2036196959
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas34
Referencias citadas45

Surveying students to garner feedback on teaching and subject quality is a common occurrence in many universities globally. Despite the criticisms surrounding whether measures associated with these surveys are indeed valid, university managers continue to utilise them in key decision making. These surveys mirror business practices where measuring customer satisfaction via surveys is common. However, some argue that universities are misdirected in measuring satisfaction as a proxy for teaching quality, possibly subverting the potentially conflicting objective of student learning. Even so, both student satisfaction and student learning can be relevant performance measures. Accordingly, we have developed two robust measures of these constructs. We argue that student learning can be measured and used to provide formative feedback for improving teaching effectiveness. Alternatively, student satisfaction can be appropriate for determining whether students are ‘enjoying’ their studies, and likewise offers distinct benefits to university managers measuring performance outcomes

Business · Customer satisfaction · Formative assessment · Higher education · Mathematics education · Medical education · Pedagogy · Political science · Accounting Education and Careers · Computer Science · Evaluation of Teaching Practices · Higher Education Governance and Development · Psychology · Marketing