Abstract:
The overarching purpose of this research was to examine the validity of
students' evaluation of teaching and courses in the University of Cape Coast
(UCC) through the lenses of Generalizability Theory and the Many-Facet Rasch
Model. The study was grounded in the positivists' paradigm using the hybrid
quantitative approach. Two main quantitative designs were used: a two-facets
partially nested random unbalanced design and the three-facets design with a
partial credit model. The study covered students for the 2019/2020 academic
year in UCC. The study used secondary data on students obtained from the
Directorate of Academic Planning and Quality Assurance, UCC (DAPQAUCC).
All cases and data points were involved in this study with a sample size
of24,726 regular students. The data were analysed by conducting univariate GT
and partial credit MFRM analyses. The study revealed a low to moderate level
of dependability of students' appraisal of courses and teaching and as such,
lecturers were unfairly rated. It was further found that the sources of
measurement error in the student evaluation exercise were halo effect, nonfunctional
item structure, inconsistent students' ratings, rater leniency, and nonfunctional
rating scale. It was concluded that data from students' appraisal of
lecturers' teaching should be used with caution. It was recommended that
DAPQA-UCC and the university management should sensitise and train
students on the evaluation of teaching, and as well review the existing
evaluation form for appraising courses and teaching by subjecting the
instrument to rigorous validation procedures.
