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Regular Feedback from Student Ratings of Instruction: Do College Teachers Improve their Ratings in the Long Run?

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Abstract

The authors examined whether feedback from student ratings of instruction not augmented with consultation helps college teachers to improve their student ratings on a long-term basis. The study reported was conducted in an institution where no previous teaching-effectiveness evaluations had taken place. At the end of each of four consecutive semesters, student ratings were assessed and teachers were provided with feedback. Data from 3122 questionnaires evaluating 12 teachers were analyzed using polynomial and piecewise random coefficient models. Results revealed that student ratings increased from the no-feedback baseline semester to the second semester and then gradually decreased from the second to the fourth semester, although feedback was provided after each semester. The findings suggest that student ratings not augmented with consultation are far less effective than typically assumed when considered from a long-term perspective.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Jessica Ippolito, Anette Kluge, Jan Schilling, and two anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments on an earlier version of this article, and Paul D. Bliese for answering questions on random coefficient modeling and data aggregation. Further thanks go to Susannah Goss for improving the language of this article.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Psychology, RWTH Aachen University, Jägerstr. 17-19, 52056, Aachen, Germany

    Jonas W. B. Lang & Martin Kersting

Authors
  1. Jonas W. B. Lang
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  2. Martin Kersting
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jonas W. B. Lang.

Appendix: Items used in the study

Appendix: Items used in the study

  1. 1.

    What grade would you give the instructor?

  2. 2.

    What grade would you give this class?

  3. 3.

    The instructor was not particularly interested in the students’ progress. (R)

  4. 4.

    The instructor’s attitude toward the students was cold and unpersonal. (R)

  5. 5.

    The instructor seemed to see teaching as a duty and a routine activity. (R)

  6. 6.

    The instructor was clearly only interested in getting through the material. (R)

  7. 7.

    It was easy to follow the material covered in the course.

  8. 8.

    Too much material was covered in the course. (R)

  9. 9.

    The pace was too fast. (R)

  10. 10.

    You had to put in a lot of extra work to keep up with the course. (R)

  11. 11.

    The course was often confusing because it seemed to lack structure, and it was easy to get lost. (R)

  12. 12.

    The instructor presented the material in a clear and understandable manner.

  13. 13.

    The instructor planned and delivered the course well.

  14. 14.

    The course was clearly structured.

Note: Original German versions of the items may be found in Diehl (2002). Items 1 and 2 are from the global subscale, items 3–6 from the rapport subscale, items 7–10 from the difficulty subscale, and items 10–14 from the teaching skill subscale. R = items scored reversely to form the overall index.

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Lang, J.W.B., Kersting, M. Regular Feedback from Student Ratings of Instruction: Do College Teachers Improve their Ratings in the Long Run?. Instr Sci 35, 187–205 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11251-006-9006-1

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