Are Teacher Course Evaluations Biased Against Faculty That Teach Quantitative Methods Courses?

Abstract

The present study investigated graduate students’ responses to teacher/course evaluations (TCE) to determine if students’ responses were inherently biased against faculty who teach quantitative methods courses. Item response theory (IRT) and Differential Item Functioning (DIF) techniques were utilized for data analysis. Results indicate students in non-methods courses preferred the structure of quantitative courses, but tend to be more critical of quantitative instructors. Authors encourage consumers of TCE results to investigate item-level results, as opposed to summative results, when making inferences about course and instructor quality.