Validity Of Students' Evaluation Of Courses And Teaching Using Generalizability Theory And Many-Facet Rasch Modelling In The University Of Cape Coast, Ghana

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.