Le ricerche sui questionari-studenti per la valutazione dell'insegnamento universitario. Quali elementi di problematicità in rapporto all’uso delle risposte?

Abstract

Rating outcomes from questionnaires of student’s opinion on teaching are the most widely used tool to evaluate and improve teaching in higher education. Today the use and scope of application of rating results on teaching has increased and widened, and commonly includes the making of important personnel decisions such as hiring, promotion and tenure. Consequently the ongoing controversial debate regarding the reliability, validity and the potential presence of various biases associated with the use of rating is ever more relevant. The main purpose of the present article is to examine the salient issues of the debate as has emerged in current studies and researches, in particular the criticism about the uses of student rating of teaching from stakeholders’ perspectives (faculty, students and administrators) as has become quite apparent. Finally, some possible proposals are suggested to help to avoid misuses and to increase formative purpose (i.e., to promote improvement in teaching).