Adverse Changes In Faculty Behavior Resulting From Use Of Student Evaluations Of Teaching: A Case Study

Abstract

Based on a detailed literature review and longitudinal analysis, this paper explores the possible underlying causes of the decline in the number of hours per week graduating business seniors indicated they studied during their senior year. The study was conducted at an AACSB accredited college of business at a regional university.  The study indicates that the decline in hours studied was likely an unintended result of using a process designed to demonstrate continuous improvement in teaching. The process utilized the Educational Testing Service’s SIR II student evaluation instrument as the only measure of teaching quality/effectiveness. The study concludes that the process may have pressured some instructors to sacrifice teaching rigor in an attempt to obtain more favorable student evaluations, thereby precipitating the decline in hours studied.