Student Evaluation of University Teaching Quality: Analysis of a Questionnaire for a Sample of University Students in Spain

Abstract

This study provides an analysis of the dimensionality and transituational invariance of a shortened version of the Complutense University Teachers Evaluation Questionnaire (CUTEQ-R), a 22-item instrument designed to evaluate student perceptions of university teaching quality. A total of 36,589 university students enrolled in 1,651 course subjects taught by 3,705 faculty resulted in a total of 194,885 student evaluations. Factor analysis procedures yielded two factors identified as (a) teaching competence demonstrated and (b) motivational skills accounting for approximately 71% of the total variance. Internal-consistency estimates of reliability (coefficient alpha) for the total scale and for each of the two factors for the total sample and subsamples were in the .90s.

References

Abrami, P. C. , D'Apollonia, S. , and Cohen, P. A. (1990). Validity of student ratings of instruction: What we know and what we do not. Journal of Educational Psychology, 82, 219-231.

Angulo, F. , Fernandez, J. , and Martinez, M. R. (1987). La evaluación de la enseñanza universitaria. Madrid: Instituto de Ciencias de la Educación.

Bolton, B. , Bonae, D. , and Hinman, S. (1976). Dimensions of students' evaluations of instruction: An empirical synthesis. Psychological Reports, 58, 119-123.

Cattell, R. B. (1978). The scientific use of factor analysis in behavioral and life sciences. New York: Plenum.

Centra, J. A. (1974). The relationship between student and alumni ratings of teachers. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 34, 321-326.

Centra, J. A. (1977). Student ratings of instruction and their relationship to student learning. American Educational Research Journal, 14, 17-24.

Cohen, P. A. (1981). Student ratings of instruction and student achievement: A meta-analysis of multisection validity studies. Review of Educational Research, 51, 281-309.

Doyle, K. 0. and Crichton, L. I. (1978). Student, peer and self evaluations of college instructors. Journal of Educational Psychology, 70, 815-826.

Feldman, K. A. (1976). The superior college teacher from the student's view. Research in Higher Education, 5, 243-288.

10.

Frey, P. W. (1978). A two-dimensional analysis of student ratings of instruction. Research in Higher Education, 9, 69-91.

11.

Harman, H. H. (1967). Modern factor analysis. Chicago, IL.: The University of Chicago Press.

12.

Kulik, J. A. and Kulik, C. C. (1974). Student ratings of instruction. Teaching of Psychology, 1, 51-57.

13.

Marsh, H. W. (1984). Validity of students' evaluations of college teaching: Dimensionality, reliability, validity, potential biases, and utility. Journal of Educational Psychology, 76, 707-754.

14.

Marsh, H. W. (1987). Students' evaluations of university teaching: Research findings, methodological issues, and directions for future research. International Journal of Educational Research, 11, 253-388.

15.

Marsh, H. W. , Overall, J. U. , and Kessler, S. P. (1979). Validity of student evaluation of instructional effectiveness: A comparison of faculty self-evaluations and evaluations by their students. Journal of Educational Psychology, 71, 149-160.

16.

McKeachie, W. J. (1990). Research on college teaching: The historical background. Journal of Educational Psychology, 82, 189-200.

17.

Perry, R. P. (1990). Introduction to the special section. Journal of Educational Psychology, 82, 183-188.

18.

Tucker, L. R. (1951). A method for synthesis of factor analysis studies. Personnel Research Section Report No. 984. Washington, D.C.: Department of the Army.

19.

Wrigley, C. S. and Neuhaus, J. 0. (1955). The matching of two sets of factors. American Psychologist, 10, 418.