Student Evaluation of Teaching: An Investigation of Nonresponse Bias in an Online Context

The online administration of student evaluations has its shortcomings, including low participation, or low response rates, and bias. This study examines nonresponse bias in online student evaluations of instruction, that is, the differences between those students who complete online evaluations and those who decide not to complete them. It builds on the work of Estelami that revealed a response bias based on the timing in which the evaluations were completed, that is, differences in early evaluations versus later evaluations. In contrast, this study examines the demographic variables that have contributed to nonresponse bias in online student evaluations, namely gender, grade point average, and ethnicity. It also examines multiple psychographic variables that may contribute to nonresponse bias: time poverty, complaining behavior, and technology savviness. The study utilized t tests and logistic regression (logit analysis) to analyze the data collected from undergraduate business students. This study found that there are significant differences between those who complete online student evaluations and those who do not. Implications for academic administrators are discussed.