Taking the grading leniency story to the edge. The influence of student, teacher, and course characteristics on student evaluations of teaching in higher education

The use of student evaluation of teaching (SET) to evaluate and improve teaching is widespread amongst institutions of higher education. Many authors have searched for a conclusive understanding about the influence of student, course, and teacher characteristics on SET. One hotly debated discussion concerns the interpretation of the positive and statistically significant relationship that has been found between course grades and SET scores. In addition to reviewing the literature, the main purpose of the present study is to examine the influence of course grades and other characteristics of students, courses, and teachers on SET. Data from 1244 evaluations were collected using the SET-37 instrument and analyzed by means of cross-classified multilevel models. The results show positive significant relationships between course grades, class attendance, the examination period in which students receive their highest course grades, and the SET score. These relationships, however, are subject to different interpretations. Future research should focus on providing a definitive and empirically supported interpretation for these relationships. In the absence of such an interpretation, it will remain unclear whether these relationships offer proof of the validity of SET or whether they are a biasing factor.     

Orthodox Communities in Eastern Anatolia in the Thirteenth to Fourteenth Centuries. Part 2: The Time of Troubles

Eastern Asia Minor underwent profound changes in the thirteenth to fourteenth centuries. The period in question is marked by the decline of the Greek Orthodox Church in Anatolia. Why did the Greek population, prosperous in the thirteenth century, dwindle in the next century? The answer may lie in the general development of Eastern Anatolia at that time: the wealthy provinces of the Sultanate of Rūm and the state of Ayyubids became an arena of constant struggle between powerful warlords, which led to depopulation of many cities. Neither Islamisation nor the process of Turkisation seem to have been a decisive factor of the decline of the Greek settlements in Eastern Asia Minor.     

Teacher professionalism and student evaluation of teaching: will better teachers receive higher ratings and will better students give higher ratings?

The use of student evaluations of teaching performance has been an important but controversial tool in the improvement of teaching quality during the past few decades. Although student evaluations of teaching are implemented in many faculties, not everyone is convinced of the desirability and utility of these ratings. In this paper, we present the results of a study with regard to the existence of a higher‐order factor that might influence students' perceptions of teaching and, thus, explain the variance in teacher rating scales. A second question concerns the effect of students' grades on teacher ratings and of other factors influencing this relationship (for instance, students' overall grades).     

(Re)Configuring masculinities in an ethno-centric Australian community school: complexity and contradictions

This article draws on a case study of 15 boys aged between 13 and 14 years who attend an urban ethno-centric community school located in Melbourne, Australia. The study investigated how the boys' constructions of masculinity were mediated by a strong connectedness to their Greek cultural traditions and ideals. Data generated from focus group discussions provided insights into the complex ways in which the boys individually and collectively constructed their understandings of what it means to be a man. For most boys, maleness constituted cultural traditions and behaviours that must be learnt: a code of conduct which a boy acquires from his elders that is talked into existence and transmitted through a hegemonic discourse. Yet the findings also revealed the agency boys can exercise and the fluidity of their configurations: contradictions and inconsistencies being an inherent part of the recursive process of their gendered identity formation.     

The role of teacher and faculty trust in forming teachers' job satisfaction: Do years of experience make a difference?

This study relates trust at the level of both the teacher and the faculty to teachers' job satisfaction. Teaching experience is explored as a moderator of the trust–satisfaction relationship. Multilevel analyses on data of 2091 teachers across 80 secondary schools in Flanders (Belgium) revealed positive associations between teacher trust in students, parents, colleagues, and the principal and satisfaction. Although faculty trust did not affect job satisfaction and teaching experience did not moderate the trust–satisfaction relationship, our findings highlight the social dimension of teaching. Improving the quality of teachers' social relationships in the workplace should enhance their job satisfaction.     

A hybrid numerical method to develop America’s Cup yacht appendages

A method aimed at the development of an America’s Cup racing yacht bulb is developed and validated against experimental data. The method relies heavily on Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and also factors in gravitational and aerodynamics effects through the use of a Velocity Prediction Program. Initial extensive use of towing tank results is made to be able to validate the CFD solution and thus develop a solid ground for predictive work. Then, in order to narrow down the focus on bulb developments, decoupled hypotheses are made on the influence of the hull and free surface wave. The development of a detailed performance analysis chart of a known base bulb allows the use of a relatively small series of CFD simulations together with physical hypotheses to assess any given bulb performance relative to the known base. The discussion of the results on a specific development highlights the promises and limitations of the method; final full scale results are discussed and analysed as well.     

Diplomatic correspondence between Byzantium and the Mamlūk Sultanate in the fourteenth century1

The present paper studies the titles of the Byzantine emperors used by the Mamlūk chancery. The surviving Mamlūk chancery textbooks of the fourteenth century provide us with new, rich data on the modes of address customarily employed by the Mamlūk sultans in writing to the Byzantine emperors. What determined the choice of a particular title? Were these titles translated into Arabic from the Byzantine originals or were these formulas the inventions of the Mamlūk secretaries? Was the attitude demonstrated by the Mamlūks towards the Byzantine emperor an innovation in chancery practice, or was it a part of a traditional view, shared by other great powers, the īlkhāns, of the role of the emperor as head of Christendom?

The investigation of the Mamlūk formula of the address of the Byzantine emperor clearly demonstrates that almost all the titles of the emperor were composed by the Mamlūk secretaries. The titles help us restore the traditional perception of the Byzantium in the Muslim countries in the fourteenth century. Despite the decline of Byzantium, the emperor was still considered as head of Christendom, the successor of Alexander the Great of Macedonia and the chief protector of the Christian faith. Such perception was demonstrated not only by the Mamlūk, but also the īlkhānid chancery. However, the Mamlūks brought about an innovation: they recognised the concept of the so‐called Byzantine Commonwealth, an association of the Orthodox states with the Byzantine emperor as its head. It seems that the Orthodox Church that participated in the relations between Byzantium and the Muslim East, was a channel of communication which brought the idea of the Commonwealth into Mamlūk diplomatic practice.     

Does students' machismo fit in school? Clarifying the implications of traditional gender role ideology for school belonging

How much students feel at home in school predicts academic outcomes. In view of the gender achievement gap, it is worth examining the gendered pattern of this school belonging. Studies on school belonging, however, have barely acknowledged possible obstructive effects of traditional gender role attitudes of individual students and student cultures. This study examines the relationship between gender role attitudes and a sense of school belonging among a sample of 6380 students from 59 Flemish schools at the start of their secondary education. The results of multilevel analyses indicate that boys show less sense of school belonging than girls, as do students with more traditional beliefs about gender roles. Moreover, student attitudes related to gender roles are strongly shared at the school level, so that we can speak of a gender role student culture. Students enrolled in more traditional gender role student cultures reveal less school belonging.     

‘Content’ versus ‘style’: Acquiescence in student evaluation of teaching?

Structural equation modelling is used to measure the existence of a response style (in particular, acquiescence) behind three balanced Likert scales measuring different concepts in a questionnaire for student evaluation of teaching in higher education. Exploration with one sample (n = 1125) and confirmation in a second sample (n = 710) from a different population (different students, different courses) shows the existence of a common factor behind these scales. However, the weak correlation with the variable ‘sum of agreements’ does not support the idea of acquiescence in student evaluation of teaching. Instead, the common factor could be interpreted as a halo factor influencing different scales in the questionnaire. The implications of this exploratory study for future research on acquiescence in student evaluations of teaching are discussed.     

Archives in motion: Concrete steps towards the digital disclosure of audiovisual content

Various authors have stressed the need for an adequate archiving and preservation policy of audiovisual material, given its cultural, historical, juridical, social and economic value. In view of the sustainable preservation of audiovisual material, the opening up of the archive is seen as a real challenge. Various aspects, such as requirements concerning formats, metadata standards and legal implications, need to be taken into account. Furthermore, different types of users should be able to consult the archive in a user-friendly way, a factor which should not be neglected. This article studies and discusses the current situation in Flanders regarding the digitisation and disclosure of the Flemish audiovisual cultural heritage, comprising the audiovisual material in the archives of different Flemish institutions, including broadcasters, (post-) production companies, government institutions and cultural organizations. Based on 45 qualitative interviews, a SWOT analysis is created to assess the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats concerning the digitisation and disclosure of the audiovisual archive. Moreover, this environmental analysis includes some recommendations concerning the future preservation of this audiovisual cultural heritage.