Perceptions of the Students and Faculty of a Dental College Towards Student Evaluation of Teaching (SET): A Cross-sectional Study

Introduction Student evaluation of teaching (SET) has been in use in some parts of the world for almost a century now. Though India has the highest number of dental colleges in the world, very few colleges employ SET as a tool for improving teaching. The present study was designed to investigate the attitudes of the faculty and students of a dental institute in India, and the differences, if any, that exist between the two major stakeholders. Materials and methods Two validated questionnaires for faculty and students about the various aspects of SET were given to consenting participants and the results of the same were statistically analyzed. Results Forty-six faculty and 198 students participated in the study. The average age of the students was 21 years while that of the faculty was 37 years. The majority of the faculty thought of SET as a useful educational tool and were open to their teaching being evaluated, though they were divided about SET being used for appraisals. Most students wanted SET to be implemented in their institute and thought that it will improve the teaching being rendered to them. Discussion On most aspects, like the when, how often, its mode of administration, and the format of SET, there was an agreement amongst the students and faculty. They differed significantly on the visibility of SET results, where most faculty felt that the results of SET should only be known to the faculty. This can be attributed to apprehensions among the faculty about SET. Conclusion The present study concludes that SET is perceived as a useful tool by the students and faculty of the studied institution.