Evaluation of the Psychometric Quality and Validity of a Student Survey of Instruction in Bangkok University, Thailand

Abstract

The main purpose of this study was to conduct a validation analysis of student surveys of teaching effectiveness implemented at Bangkok University, Thailand. This study included three phases; survey development, a pilot study, and a full implementation study. Four sources of validity evidence were collected to support intended interpretations and uses of survey scores. To this end, this study evaluated the extent to which the content evidence supported the construct definition of the survey (RQ1), the relationships among survey items and survey components corresponded to the construct dimension (RQ2), the survey exhibited gender differential item functioning (RQ3), and student ratings and a similar measure of teaching quality and student achievement (RQ4) were related.

Overall, the student survey demonstrated good psychometric quality and the intended purposes and uses of the survey were supported. Based on expert reviews, the dimensions and survey items were perceived adequate in covering teaching quality, the survey items were perceived to properly assess the associated dimensions, and the response scales were perceived suitable with what was intended to measure. Exploratory factor analysis suggested that the construct of teaching effectiveness as defined in this survey may be unidimensional. Although the results did not support multidimensionality, the dimensions can still be used by individual instructors to evaluate their own teaching. Cronbach’s α coefficients were high and supported the internal consistency of the survey. There was no occurrence of gender DIF in this student survey. Therefore, the validity evidence of survey score interpretations was supported since the meaning of survey categories/scales was shared across male and female students. Finally, the results based on relation to other variables showed a strong positive relationship between the student survey and another currently used survey at Bangkok University which was used to evaluate teaching effectiveness for a decade. This could indicate that the student survey was measuring a similar construct of teaching effectiveness.