Many students do not take teacher evaluations seriously. Others actually believe that what they write on their evaluations has a significant impact on a professor’s teaching methods. Some professors think that students’ ratings are unreliable and present more of a popularity contest than an intelligent critique of teaching techniques.

These are some of the opinions a group of eight students found while researching teacher evaluations for their Communication Studies 214 class.

The students presented their findings, “The Myths of Teacher Evaluations,” to about 30 people Wednesday in the Gallery of the Memorial Union.

During their presentation, group members said teacher evaluations are merely ranking and rating professors for statistics and students’ comments have little bearing on teaching styles.

Results of teacher evaluations do influence rewards teachers receive, such as pay raises, tenure and job advancements.

The students presented a list of negative and positive aspects about current teacher evaluation.

On the negative side, they pointed out that the system is mostly for data purposes for administration. Also, some professors think students are unable to judge if teaching techniques are up-to-date and that evaluations are “basically a popularity contest.”

Also, they said some students don’t take the time to write thoughtful responses.

Positive aspects mentioned were that evaluations can make a monetary difference to a tenured professor, some teachers do look at student evaluations to improve teaching techniques and ask students for further input and comment sections on evaluations provide a forum for helpful feedback.

A survey the group conducted among 241 ISU students showed that 73 percent of the students felt they take evaluations seriously, and 74 percent expressed that there is a need for teacher evaluations.

The group said the major problem is that the needs and expectations of students, professors and administrators are not being integrated into the evaluations.

The group suggested four areas to improve teacher evaluations.

First, they said evaluations should be given at least one or two weeks before Dead Week and at the beginning of the class period when students are more apt to give serious thought to their responses.

Standardizing evaluations within departments, throwing out extreme negative or positive responses from students and providing a list of the professors receiving the best student responses were also suggested.

The group did interview a couple professors who have their students do a form of teacher evaluations at mid-term to improve teaching techniques.

“We hope we’ve stirred interest,” group member Carolyn Raper, a senior in political science, said. Although two members of the group are graduating, others want to pursue their proposed improvements, Raper said.

Government of Student Body officials have already been doing work with this topic, Brad Lozan, GSB director of student information, said, and plan to pursue the topic of teacher evaluations further next semester.

“We’re looking into doing quite a few things in it,” he said. For example, he said GSB is looking into making teacher evaluations available for students to view before signing up for classes.

“It’s one of those issues that I’m interested in,” he said.

Members of the group said they appreciated GSB’s interest in their findings.