Beyond the Numbers
How Directors and Chairs Interpret Student Feedback to Equitably Evaluate Teaching
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12839730 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Christopher R Drue (0000-0002-0678-2336), Christina Bifulco (0000-0003-3200-0235) |
| Year | 2025 |
| Volume | 23 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 1499-1521 |
| Publication date | 2025-02-26 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Academic Ethics (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1570-1727 • E-ISSN: 1572-8544 |
| Publisher | Springer Science+Business Media (PUBLISHER • DE) |
| DOI | 10.1007/s10805-025-09611-5 |
| OpenAlex | W4408058819 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 25 |
In response to literature examining how student biases can unfairly discriminate against instructors from disadvantaged groups or women, this study investigates how department officials at a large public university in the Northeast United States use student feedback as part of the holistic evaluation of teaching. Through surveys and a focus group, we examine the decision-making processes of department chairs and program directors, who often lack formal training in interpreting student feedback but possess practical experience in addressing student concerns and evaluating instructors. Our findings reveal that these administrators employ various strategies to mitigate biases in student feedback, such as disregarding outliers, considering response rates, seeking corroborative evidence, engaging in discussions with instructors, and making independent judgments based on multiple sources of evidence. This study contributes a crucial perspective to the debate on student feedback’s value by emphasizing the need for careful interpretation to ensure equitable and effective teaching evaluations, while identifying effective strategies employed by those who do this work
Mathematics education · Medical education · Computer Science · Evaluation of Teaching Practices · Medicine · Online and Blended Learning · Psychology · Teacher Education and Leadership Studies
On the Validity of Student Evaluation of Teaching
What’s in a Name
Student evaluations of teaching (mostly) do not measure teaching effectiveness
Interpreting and using student ratings data
Unbiased, reliable, and valid student evaluations can still be unfair
Evaluating Student Evaluations of Teaching
Student Evaluations and Gendered Expectations
Does Professor Quality Matter? Evidence from Random Assignment of Students to Professors
Why Student Ratings of Faculty Are Unethical
The Persistence of Gender Bias in Student Evaluations of Teaching
Gendered mundanities
Gender Bias in Student Evaluations
Exploring Bias in Student Evaluations
WITHDRAWN - Mixed Methods Sampling
How Many Focus Groups Are Enough? Building an Evidence Base for Nonprobability Sample Sizes
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |