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Dissertation_CaixiaCui_Final.pdf (718.25 KB)

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Failed Accountability and Student Evaluations of Teaching in Higher Education: An Experimental Study

Cui, Caixia
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1626996618559242

Abstract Details

2021, Doctor of Philosophy, University of Toledo, Educational Research and Measurements.
The present study explores the use of Student Evaluations of Teaching (SETs) within higher education institutions. In particular, bias associated with student ratings was explored in several ways. An experimental study design, using an advanced measurement framework was employed. Eight faculty participants from four ethnic-identity groups, and two gender-identity groups offered short 3-minute lectures to students within a fictitious “Great Cities of the Americas” course. Students were asked to watch each and complete both a cognitive quiz and a uniquely developed SET. Three research questions were asked: (1) Are student ratings of instructional effectiveness influenced by the perceived gender- or ethnic-identity of the instructor under experimental conditions?, (2) Are student ratings of items related to instructional effectiveness subject to Differential Item Functioning (DIF) under experimental conditions?, and (3) Can a Multi-faceted Rasch Modeling approach account and adjust for biases in SETs detected relative to faculty characteristics? The Rasch Rating Scale model (RSM), Multi-faceted Rasch model (MFRM), Differential Item Functioning (DIF) analyses, and inferential statistical tests were used to answer the three research questions.   Results from the study demonstrated significant differences based on the gender- and ethnic-identity of faculty. Female-identifying were rated significantly higher than male-identifying faculty and White-identifying faculty were rated significantly higher than the non-White-identifying faculty. Among the non-White faculty, Asian faculty were rated significantly lower than the Black and Latinx faculty. MFRM analyses and statistical testing showed that this difference was not explained by student variables including student gender, ethnicity, location, age, college, nationality, and school year. Conclusions suggest that SETs as they currently exist are at best inadequate representations of effectiveness, and at worse, biased and inequitable reflections.
Gregory Stone (Committee Chair)
Noela Haughton (Committee Member)
Snejana Slantcheva- Durst (Committee Member)
Toni Sondergeld (Committee Member)
145 p.
Educational Evaluation; Gender; Higher Education
Student evaluations of teaching, experimental design, Rasch model

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Cui, C. (2021). Failed Accountability and Student Evaluations of Teaching in Higher Education: An Experimental Study [Doctoral dissertation, University of Toledo]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1626996618559242

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Cui, Caixia. Failed Accountability and Student Evaluations of Teaching in Higher Education: An Experimental Study. 2021. University of Toledo, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1626996618559242.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Cui, Caixia. "Failed Accountability and Student Evaluations of Teaching in Higher Education: An Experimental Study." Doctoral dissertation, University of Toledo, 2021. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1626996618559242

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

toledo1626996618559242
152
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This open access ETD is published by University of Toledo and OhioLINK.