“this course was a complete waste of my time and money!” (what? no way!) “we need a better...
TRANSCRIPT
“This course was a complete waste of my time and money!” (What? No way!)
“We need a better instructor who actually knows what he is
doing.” (I bet I know who wrote that one.)
“The teacher is a great person, however I don’t feel he knows
how to teach what he knows.” (Seriously?)
To identify areas of improvement To promote change To assist with staffing needs To hold teachers accountable for student learning To provide incentive for teachers who wish to increase their
‘rating’
WHY SHOULD STUDENT SEVALUATE THEIR TEACHERS?
According to this class.
In the early 1970’s, student evaluation of professors was supported by 3 main groups:
1. students, who wanted a say in teaching2. administrators, who were concerned with
accountability and good public relations3. young faculty, who wanted their salary,
promotion and tenure evaluations to be based on something other than number of publications
Historically
Harry G. MurrayDepartment of PsychologyUniversity of Western Ontario
Validity of student ratings?
Classroom Observation Studies
Trained observers visit classes to record the frequency with which instructors exhibit “low-inference” teaching behaviours
Attempts are then made to predict student ratings of the instructor
Multi-Section Validity Studies
Different sections are taught by different instructors with a common syllabus and a common exam
Observations are made comparing student ratings to student achievement
It is claimed that since faculty members know that student evaluations are used in personnel decisions and are afraid that giving low grades to students will cause retribution from students in the form of low teacher ratings, they respond by raising grades, which leads to rampant grade inflation.
Dilemma 1. high or low grades do cause students to give high or low ratings
2. more effective teachers foster higher levels of learning in students which is justifiably reflected in higher grades
Student evaluation of teaching can lead to improved teaching if the feedback is accompanied by expert consultation
The evaluations increase the need or demand for faculty development programs
Student feedback is therefore translated into actual improvement of teaching
Have student evaluations made a difference?
students
administrators
young faculty
Individual teachers, who value feedback, would take the initiative to target areas of need
Others would need to be nudged into professional learning opportunities
In the high school setting…
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENTAQ COURSES (OECTA)
MOTIVATION
Ongoing professional development
Salary advancement
DISINCENTIVES
Time commitment Cost
•Shorter modules
• More affordable
• Credits can be used towards
completing a full-course credit
Self-directed professional development
TLLP (Teacher Learning and Leadership Program) Self-directed, advanced PD for improving practice and
supporting student learning through pilot projects The funding supports release time, test trials,
materials Supported by OTF and the Ministry of Education
math talk use of technology in the classroom a networked community of writers English and French teachers working side by
side learning journey with the Monarch butterfly improving boys’ literacy through best
practices blogs as motivation for reading and writing
examples of TLLPs
A group of educators who are motivated by a vision of learning and who support one other toward that end
PLCs involve structured and continuous teacher collaboration Members must be open to sharing with others, having their beliefs and
practices open to questioning and encouraging feedback This involves a certain level of vulnerability and risk-taking The success of all students is at the core of PLCs not just those in specific
classes
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/literacynumeracy/inspire/research/plc.pdf
PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES (PLCs)
a simple solution for those who wish to inform their practice…
At the end of every test or quiz, elicit some feedback by asking questions like…
“What did you like most about this unit?”“Which teaching/learning strategies did you
respond best to?”“How could I have made the information more
understandable, applicable and relevant?“What do you want to see more of in this class?
Less of?”