Students' ratings of teacher personality and teaching competence

The validity of student rating of teaching is discussed in terms of the effect that students' perceptions of teacher personality might have on that rating. A procedure for using student feedback to evaluate teaching was trialled which sought to minimise the effect of teacher personality on students' ratings of teaching quality. A total of fifteen rating exercises, using ten teachers over a two year period, was carried out. Results indicate that teacher personality, as perceived by students, is still very significantly related to their ratings of teaching quality. It is argued that this is a proper state of affairs which does not undermine the validity of student ratings.