Analyzing and Prioritizing Factors, Criteria, and Indicators for Evaluating the Teaching Quality of Faculty Members: An Exploratory Mixed Methods Research

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 M.Sc. Student in Educational Evaluation, Department of Educational Planning and Curriculum, Faculty of Psychology and Education, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

2 Associate Prof, Department of Educational Methods and Curriculum Planning, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract
Objective: This study aimed to identify and prioritize the factors, criteria, and indicators for evaluating the teaching quality of faculty members of the Faculty of Psychology and Education, University of Tehran.
Method: This study was conducted with a mixed exploratory design in two qualitative and quantitative parts from 2023 to 2025. In the qualitative part, a framework consisting of factors, criteria, and indicators was identified through semi-structured interviews with 22 students and using the Diekelmann’s seven-stage method. In the quantitative part, a researcher-made questionnaire was developed based on the qualitative findings and completed by 320 students. Quantitative data were analyzed using the Friedman test for prioritization.
Results: In the qualitative section, 71 indicators were identified in the form of 16 criteria and 5 main factors (educational, communicative, individual professor, individual student, and environmental-organizational). In the quantitative section, the "individual teacher" factor has the highest priority, while the "environmental-organizational" factor was ranked the lowest. The most important criteria are “professor attitude,” “professor’s specialized capabilities,” and “professor-student communication.” The most important indicators identified were, in order: “professor’s availability and timely response,” “compliance with assessment principles and standards,” and “link between teaching and research.”
Conclusions: From the students' perspective, the quality of teaching depends on the individual, professional, and communicative characteristics of the professor. Developing a local evaluation system can greatly help improve the quality of teaching.

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