Validity, Reliability, and Potential Bias of Short Forms of Students' Evaluation of Teaching: The Case of UAE University

Students' opinions continue to be a significant factor in the evaluation of teaching in higher education institutions. The purpose of this study was to psychometrically assess short students evaluation of teaching (SET) forms using the UAE University form as a model. The study evaluated the form validity, reliability, the overall question, and potential bias with respect to gender, college, grade point average, expected grade, and class size. A total of 3,661 students participated in this study in different random samples. Results indicated that the short SET form lacked content validity and could not identify key dimensions of evaluating teaching effectiveness. The form showed stability over time and acceptable internal reliability. Results indicated also that there was a potential bias due to college, expected grade, and class size, but there was no relationship between grade point average and students' ratings. It was concluded that short SET forms do not cover all domain content and unable to provide teachers with enough information for the improvement of teaching.