Improving Teaching Quality in Higher Education through Student Evaluation Feedback in Saudi Universities

Abstract

Student evaluations of teaching (SET) are widely used in Saudi universities as a resource for recording and improving the quality of teaching. This paper studies the effect of SET on enhancing teaching quality in Saudi universities. It reports on findings from a narrative review in which the researcher conducted a PubMed and ERIC database for published journal articles that had been peer-reviewed. The researcher combined different search phrases to investigate how SET can lead to the improvement of teaching quality. The article is divided into sections that focus on specific issues related to SET and how to address these issues. The primary emphasis is on the fundamental concept of including student feedback to improve teacher quality. Considering the substantial allocation of resources towards SET and the high probability of their ongoing utilization for assessing teaching efficacy and educational achievements, optimizing the practical insights derived from these evaluations is imperative. The study findings indicate that designing the evaluation system, administering the evaluations, and following the subsequent procedures are crucial to improving the quality of teaching and learning through SET. The study also offers pedagogical implications to enhance understanding of the challenges faced by instructors at Saudi universities and suggests recommendations for ideal practice.