Comparison of Teacher Evaluation Indices from the Perspective of Students and Teachers at Alborz University of Medical Sciences

Background: Teacher evaluation is an essential and useful tool for decision making and determining appropriate teaching policies, especially in universities. The present study aimed to compare the teacher evaluation indices from the perspective of students and teachers at Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Iran. Methods: The present descriptive-analytical study was conducted in 2013 on 34 faculty members and 418 students at Alborz University of Medical Sciences in Karaj, Iran. Data were collected using a researcher-made questionnaire on demographic characteristics, target group, appropriate time for teacher evaluation and opinions of faculty members and students about the twenty indices of teacher evaluation. The data were analyzed with SPSS 16 using descriptive statistics. Results: The most effective target groups for teacher evaluation from the perspective of teachers were elite students (58.9%) and normal students (20.6%), while the most effective target groups for teacher evaluation from the perspective of students were normal students (42.1%) and teachers (14.1%). Conclusion: Based on the results of the present study, we suggest using the criteria agreed by the teacher and students, revising the teacher evaluation forms, not limiting the evaluation process to the students' opinion, conducting self-evaluation by the teachers, conducting continuous evaluation at different times of the semester, a survey of teachers in preparing forms and summarizing and concluding the evaluations.