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Student evaluations of teaching do not reflect student learning: an observational study
1Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine, Basseterre, Saint Kitts and Nevis. rogilbert@rossvet.edu.kn.
BMC Medical Education
|February 26, 2025
Summary
Student Evaluations of Teaching (SET) in veterinary medicine correlate positively with grades but negatively with actual learning. This suggests evaluations may not accurately reflect educational outcomes, urging cautious interpretation.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Education
- Educational Assessment
- Academic Evaluation
Background:
- Student Evaluations of Teaching (SET) are widely used for faculty and curriculum decisions.
- Existing evidence suggests SET can be biased by factors like student grades.
- The validity of SET in veterinary education, particularly concerning actual learning, remains under-examined.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the relationship between student evaluations of veterinary courses, student grades, and independent measures of learning.
- To determine if higher grades and favorable SET scores in veterinary medicine reflect genuine academic achievement.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine (RUSVM) from Fall 2018 to Summer 2022.
- Correlated course evaluations and student grades with scores from the external Veterinary Educational Assessment (VEA).
- Employed Spearman correlation coefficients to analyze relationships across 160 courses and 12 student cohorts.
Main Results:
- A significant positive correlation was found between mean course evaluations and median course grades (rho=0.35, P<0.0001).
- A similar positive correlation existed between mean course evaluations and the proportion of students earning A-grades (rho=0.38, P<0.0001).
- A statistically significant negative correlation was observed between course evaluations and VEA scores (rho=-0.18, P=0.02), indicating higher evaluations did not align with better learning outcomes.
Conclusions:
- Confirmed the established link between SET and student grades in veterinary education.
- Demonstrated a novel, albeit small, negative relationship between SET and an independent measure of learning in veterinary medicine.
- Advocates for cautious interpretation of SET, as their use in evaluating teachers or courses may lead to unintended negative consequences, such as lowered expectations for student achievement.
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