Measuring Student Responses in and Instructors' Perceptions of Student Evaluation of Teaching (SETs), Pre and Post Intervention

At most colleges and universities, students are invited to complete Student Evaluation of Teaching (SETs), which have both formative and summative purposes. In this convergent mixed methods study we evaluated if we could influence (a) students' numerical responses and nature of their comments and (b) instructors' physical and emotional responses to SET results, their perceptions of their results, and perceptions of SETs overall. Students who received an in-class intervention submitted more qualified comments, addressed specific issues, and made more recommendations for improvements compared to students who did not receive the intervention. Instructors reported reduced physical symptoms related to SETs after they received the intervention. Instructors reported that the intervention helped them let go of feelings of frustration and isolation and that they had acquired new strategies for opening, reading, and interpreting SET results. They continued, however, to report feeling apprehensive, uneasy, and uncertain about impending SET results.