The use of student evaluations in examining clinical teaching in pharmacy

A procedure for eliciting student ratings of clerkship teacher performance was implemented. The purpose of the study was to determine the reliability of student evaluations, explore the differences in teaching roles in relation to student evaluations, and identify those teaching behaviors that were closely associated with overall teacher effectiveness. Students rated clerkship teachers on eight teaching behaviors, including organization, stimulation and enthusiasm about discipline, ability to establish rapport, active involvement with students, level of knowledge and use of sound reasoning, ability to teach clinical procedures and skills, provision of direction and feedback on learning, and accessibility. A ninth item for evaluation of overall teaching effectiveness was also included. At the end of each clinical rotation, students anonymously rated each teacher on a five-point scale. Student ratings were used to evaluate performance and to identify teachers whose clinical skills needed improvement. As one component of an overall approach to performance review, the student evaluation procedure provided for input from the consumer of the teaching activity. When necessary, educational specialists provided consultation to instructors to identify, in detail, clinical teaching behaviors that needed improvement and to suggest remedial strategies. This article describes the development and use of an approach to assess clinical teaching in the clerkships of the College of Pharmacy. After reviewing the literature to determine the characteristics of clinical teaching, an approach was established that paralleled the needs of the faculty and the constraints of the clinical settings. Once the system was implemented and the data were gathered on clinical teaching, investigations were required to examine the reliability of the survey, to identify those behaviors more closely related to effective clinical teaching, and to determine the advantages and disadvantages of using this approach. As a result, this study examines the literature on assessing clinical teaching, describes the approach developed for the College of Pharmacy, identifies some important behaviors in clinical teaching, and discusses the benefits and limitations of the assessment mechanisms to improve clinical teaching.