Are Student Evaluations of Teachers (SETs) Related to Instructor, Student, or Course Characteristics?

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Friday 9:50 am Four Seasons Ballroom 4
  In Roundtable Session: Bias, Trust, and Impact: Rethinking Course Evaluations for Equitable Faculty and Student Experience (Table 7)

Abstract

Student evaluations of teaching (SETs) provide a window into the student experience of courses and with instructors. However, SETs can also capture racial and gender biases towards instructors that can impact faculty career outcomes through inclusion during promotion and tenure reviews. The current study examines 15 years of SETs and administrative data on graduate student instructors (GSIs) and faculty from a social science and a STEM department at a highly selective public institution with high research activity. Multilevel models identified evaluations of instructor quality tended to be lower for instructors who are Asian, non-US citizens, GSIs, and “other” instructors. Results are similar for evaluations of course quality, though Hispanic and Latino instructors also received worse course scores.

Authors

• Shekinah Lightner, University of Michigan

• Thomas Michael Drake, University of Michigan

• Matthew Ronfeldt, University of Michigan

• Carson Byrd, University of Michigan

• Eric Schwartz, University of Michigan