The effects of different oral directions as to disposition of results on student ratings of college instruction

A review of the literature is presented with particular reference to design flaws in previous studies of the effect of stated purpose of evaluation upon student ratings of instruction. Special attention in this study is paid to insuring the salience of the manipulated purpose-of-evaluation variable through using different oral instructions given to college students concerning the purposes of course evaluation. Students (N=516) within each of 18 classes were divided randomly into faculty use and administrative use conditions. Data were analyzed using global course and global instructor items as dependent variables on a standard short-form rating instrument. No statistically significant effect of the independent variable on either dependent variable was found. Recommendations regarding the design of this type of investigation are discussed as well as the implications of misconceptions about student ratings held by many college faculty.