Abstract
Prior research suggests that student evaluation systems are a valuable aid to effective teaching quality. Research on student evaluations of teaching (SET) in engineering programme is somewhat lacking in the Middle East, particularly in Saudi Arabia. This study therefore focuses on the factors that influence engineering students' evaluations of teaching. A survey of 63 students from an engineering programme was carried out. Multivariate statistical analysis was used to group students into clusters based on the closeness of their decisions in rating instructors according to selected factors. Using Vroom's model of "expectancy theory" to investigate students' decision-making processes with regard to "improving teaching" or "improving the course format", the study reveals that meeting students' needs in the classroom appears to be an important factor when evaluating instructors at the end of the semester. In addition, the study suggests that instructors should not average or compare the average of student scores when considering the results of SET surveys. The findings also suggest that instructors should use a balanced approach in the classroom, paying attention to a range of factors in order to improve their overall teaching performance. In an attempt to raise awareness of SET, several implications are drawn out, and some directions for future research are suggested.