Work

Teaching faculty experiences with student evaluation of instruction: A mixed-methods study

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: Background Universities assesses the effectiveness of teaching faculty and curricula via student evaluations, despite literature questioning the reliability and validity of this process. What is seldom examined is the emotions these evaluations evoke on teachers. Aim The study aimed to explore the experiential phenomena that nursing and midwifery teachers encounter in response to student evaluations. Design and Methods A three-phase exploratory sequential mixed-methods study was employed with teachers from a single, large multicampus tertiary Australian Nursing and Midwifery school. Results Nursing and Midwifery teachers completed both a qualitative (n=43) and quantitative online survey (n=48). The survey identified most staff were anxious and felt judged by comments on their evaluations. Though the majority felt extrinsic factors and grades influenced evaluations, they were used to adjust content. Conclusion Universities, like other workplaces, are required under legislation to provide a safe workplace yet perpetuate an evaluation system that actively places teaching faculty under stress with no active mitigation process in place. There is an opportunity for higher education to protect their staff and engage in alternative evaluative methodologies.

Source: Teaching and learning in nursing

DOI: 10.1016/j.teln.2024.11.009

Authors: Danny Sidwell, Denis Lee, Peta-Anne Zimmerman, Steven Bentley, Matthew Barton

Institutions: University of Tasmania, Griffith University, Gold Coast Hospital, The University of Queensland, AGRF Ltd

Language: English

Topic: Evaluation of Teaching Practices

Subfield: Education

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Quality education

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $2,700