Bias, Validity, and the High-Stakes Decision Making Surrounding Student Evaluations of Teaching

• In Event: Faculty Teaching, Evaluation, and Development With Equity in Mind

Abstract

The present study explores bias within Student Evaluations of Teaching (SETs) used in higher education institutions. An experimental study design using an advanced measurement framework was employed. Eight faculty participants from four ethnic-identity and two gender-identity groups offered short 3-minute lectures to students. Students were asked to watch each and complete both a cognitive quiz and a SET. Results from the study demonstrated significant differences based on the gender- and ethnic-identities of faculty. Female-identifying faculty were rated significantly higher than male-identifying counterparts and White-identifying faculty were rated significantly higher than the non-White-identifying faculty. Advanced measurement analyses and statistical testing demonstrated that this difference was not explained by student variables including student gender, ethnicity, location, age, college, nationality, and school year. 

Authors

• Caixia Cui, University of Toledo

• Gregory E. Stone, University of Toledo

• Toni A. May (Sondergeld), Drexel University

• Noela A. Haughton, University of Toledo

• Snejana Slantcheva-Durst, University of Toledo