Student Evaluations of Teachers: Intended and Unintended Social Consequences
Abstract
The use of student evaluations of teachers (SETs) in U.S. institutions is pervasive, as is the belief that SETs are valid measures of teacher effectiveness. As such, they have been used for a number of teaching or teaching-related purposes, namely, to help faculty make teaching and course related improvements and to allow administrators to assess and monitor teacher quality. Moreover, it is reasonable to argue that the use of SETs should realize positive intended consequences: more learned students, better teachers, and a higher quality of education. The author examines the consequences, both intended and unintended, of using SETs.
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