Student Evaluation of Instruction: Objective Evidence and Decision Making

David A. Dilts
Hedayeh Samavati
Mashalah Rahnama Moghadam
Lawrence J. Haber

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DOI: 10.2190/TG7W-MK7A-KNLB-2WAD

Abstract

This article examines student attitudes as a possible source of contamination of evidence gathered from student evaluation of instruction questionnaires. A student attitude survey instrument was administered simultaneously with a student evaluation of instruction instrument for undergraduate students and for graduate students at three different midwestern universities. The results demonstrate that 13 percent of the variation in undergraduate student appraisals of instruction is explained by student attitudes such as personal dislike for an instructor, racism or sexism. Graduate students' appraisals of instructional effectiveness are not correlated with inappropriate attitudes. These findings suggest that decision making by undergraduate students concerning the quality of instruction they received are significantly affected by inappropriate attitudes, thereby creating suspicion concerning the objectivity of undergraduate student evaluators. In turn, academic decision makers must exercise care in interpreting evidence gathered using student evaluation questionnaires administered in undergraduate classes. There is no evidence that graduate students' evaluation should be regarded by academic administrators with equal suspicion.

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