Meta-evaluation of the teaching evaluation system of a Mexican public university

Abstract

Meta-evaluation is a systematic review of an evaluation program, oriented to identify strengths and opportunities for improvement. The objective of this work was to carry out a meta-evaluation of the teaching evaluation system of bachelor´s degrees based on the opinion of its faculty. The design corresponds to a case study that resumed elements of the responsive evaluation model.  Univariate analysis techniques and content qualitative analysis were used in a sample of 1,431 faculty members who answered an online questionnaire. The results show the complexity of the evaluation of teaching. For example, findings showed faculty use the students’ score results of the Teaching Competence Evaluation Questionnaire to identify the strengths and weaknesses of their teaching practice. They also propose extend the scope of the questionnaire and include elements such as respect and punctuality, to improve communication of the results to the faculty, and other evaluation strategies. At the same time, some faculty criticized student’s punitive uses of the evaluation and their lack of knowledge about the evaluation process. By way of conclusion, it is recommended that periodic assessments of teaching evaluation systems are conducted with the sole purpose of contributing to its practice and usefulness.