Meanings Underlying Student Ratings of Faculty

In this qualitative study we attempted to gain an understanding of what meanings underlie eight items on a faculty evaluation form. Undergraduate students’ (N = 389) explanations of their ratings revealed stronger consensus on some items than on others; and low-inference items did not necessarily evoke more agreement in meaning. Our findings include the discovery of some unanticipated interpretations of “teaching” that went beyond the items themselves, the original focus of our research.