Are Students’ Evaluation of Teaching Valid? Evidence Form an Iranian Higher Education Institution

Because of the importance of assessing teaching effectiveness based on reliable and valid instruments, a study was conducted to identify dimensions of teaching effectiveness from the undergraduate studentsʹ perspectives. The study adopted an exploratory descriptive design. Respondents to participate in the research were 250 undergraduate students at an Iranian higher education institution. A twelve-item format questionnaire was the main instrument for data collection. The data collected was then subjected to factor analysis, and a model produced of teaching effectiveness and charisma. The findings suggest that how much students perceive their lectures as a charismatic teacher is an important predictor of Student Evaluation of Teaching (SET) scores. The study presents a challenge to the use of SET in higher education system in Iran and, in particular, raises questions of fairness if such ratings are to be used in decisions relating to employment issues. The finding suggests that SET be applied cautiously in faculty performance evaluation.