Pharmacy students' perceptions of a teaching evaluation process

Objective. To assess PharmD students' perceptions of the usefulness of Duquesne University's Teaching Effectiveness Questionnaire (TEQ), the instrument currently employed for student evaluation of teaching. Methods. Opinions of PharmD students regarding the TEQ were measured using a survey instrument comprised of Likert-type scales eliciting perceptions, behaviors, and self-reported biases. Results. PharmD students viewed student evaluation of teaching as appropriate and necessary, but conceded that the faculty members receiving the best evaluations were not always the most effective teachers. Most students indicated a willingness to complete the TEQ when given the opportunity but expressed frustration that their feedback did not appear to improve subsequent teaching efforts. Conclusion. The current TEQ mechanism for student evaluation of teaching is clearly useful but nevertheless imperfect with respect to its ability to improve teaching. Future research may examine other aspects of pharmacy students' roles as evaluators of teaching.