Recency effect in university student evaluation of faculty instruction

by Dickey, David Louis.

RECENCY EFFECT IN UNIVERSITY STUDENT EVALUATION OF FACULTY INSTRUCTION David Louis Dickey The researcher examined how recency effect influences student evaluations of faculty. Students were examined to determine the effects caused by rater training and keeping diaries of their instructor’s performance. Students used The University of West Florida Student Assessment of Instruction as a pretest and posttest to evaluate their instructor. Results indicated that recency effect does exist. Results also indicated that even though students have not heard of recency effect they have recognized and experienced the effect. Faculty interviewed clearly defined and understood the impact of recency effect, including several of the faulty admitting they tried to influence student evaluations based on recency effect. 1 2