Predictors of student rating accuracy

Abstract

Teamwork has become an integral part of modern engineering practice. Likewise, teaching students to work effectively in teams has become an important component of engineering education. However, evaluating individual student contributions to team development and performance has been difficult. The paper explores the use of peer ratings for evaluation of individual contributions to team performance. Peer ratings are susceptible to bias when, for example, team members either unfairly gang up on an unpopular individual or protect an undeserving student. Therefore, it would be helpful to know if some students provide more accurate ratings than others and what the characteristics of accurate raters might be. The study looked for predictors of rating accuracy by comparing how an individual rated their own team behavior with how their fellow team members rated them on those same behaviors. Specifically, we used the Team Developer instrument to obtain self-ratings and team ratings on a variety of team behaviors. The discrepancy between self and peer ratings provided a measurement of rating accuracy. We then compared rating accuracy with demographic and academic variables to determine possible predictors of rating accuracy. Our results showed a tendency toward self-enhancement in the ratings across all four behavioral dimensions. Limited support was demonstrated for higher rating accuracy in higher performing students and lower accuracy in lower performing students. Implications for student evaluation are discussed, along with limitations of the study and suggestions for future research.