CITISE
ISSN 2409-7616
2025;2(44)
Pedagogical sciences
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Melnikova V.V.

STUDENT EVALUATION OF TEACHING: LIMITATIONS OF USE AND PROSPECTS FOR DEVELOPMENT

Melnikova V.V.1 (Khabarovsk, Russian Federation) – 010169@togudv.ru

1Pacific National University

Abstract. In the context of growing attention to quality assurance mechanisms in higher education, student evaluation of teaching (SET) is becoming an increasingly widespread tool for internal monitoring in Russian universities. At the same time, student surveys on teaching quality frequently spark debates within the academic community and provoke serious disagreements about the appropriateness of their use. The present study offers an analytical review of contemporary Russian and international scholarly works aimed at systematizing the main limitations and challenges inherent in the practice of SET. This work also examines the current state of the regulatory framework for SET procedures in Russian universities and compares findings from Russian research with international experience. The results of the analysis reveal a range of issues that call into question the validity and reliability of SET as an instrument for measuring the objective effectiveness of teaching activities. The most significant among these are: concerns regarding the construct validity of the instruments used; the influence of bias factors and systematic distortions in student evaluations; insufficient respondent competence; risks of grade inflation; and the underdeveloped nature of regulatory frameworks governing SET procedures at the level of universities’ local normative acts. Based on this study, we conclude that it is inadvisable to use SET data as the sole criterion for personnel management decisions. However, with an adequate understanding of the functional purpose of this tool and under conditions that foster dialogue and collaboration, SET can become a valuable channel for constructive feedback to instructors and an effective means of involving students in shaping their educational experience and enhancing the educational process. The conclusion identifies promising directions for further research, in particular the need for empirical investigation of students’ readiness and capacity for objective and constructive evaluation.

Keywords: student evaluation of teaching, SET, education quality assessment, feedback in education, internal quality assurance system, student perspectives on teaching.

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For citation: Melnikova V.V. Student evaluation of teaching: limitations of use and prospects for development. CITISE, 2025, no. 2, pp. 385-399.

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