New York College Learning Skills Association

RTDE Issue Contents

Research and Teaching
in Developmental Education

Volume 17, Issue 2, Spring 2001

Gender Roles, Final Course Grades, and Faculty Evaluation
By T.Nelson Ikegulu, and W.A. Burham, Colleges of Education and Science Technology, Grambling State University

Abstract

The sample consisted of 380 students and 18 instructors who voluntarily agreed to participate in the study by signing the Consent Forms. We focused on the simultaneous effects of gender (student and instructor) and expected course grades on faculty evaluation. Two hypotheses were proposed, male instructors would receive lower mean ratings scores than female instructors; and that the expected course grades would not affect students' ratings. Results indicated that: (1) Female instructors were consistently rated lower (better), on average, than male instructors. (2) The expected course grades reported by students were found to significantly affect the ratings they gave. (3) Female students gave better ratings than male students. These ratings were consistent even when the expected course grades and the factorially derived constructs were considered. A pragmatic implication of these is that students' expected course grades should be considered when making major decisions regarding faculty evaluation. Issues related to students' perceptions of their instructors' attitudes and teaching effectiveness, expected course grade, the reliability estimates and teacher planning routines, and consequences of faculty evaluation reports are discussed.