Six Factors of Course and Teaching Evaluation in a Bilingual University in Central Africa

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify the factors which students consider important in the evaluation of courses and teaching in a bilingual university setting, where teachers teach in either English or French and students receive lectures in the language of the teachers, independent of whether they (students) are anglophones or francophones. The sample consisted of 247 anglophones and 380 francophones registered in the first year in various courses at the Faculty of Arts Letters and Social Sciences (FALSS) of the University of Yaounde I in Cameroon. A principal component factor analytic technique was used, factors rotated to a simple structure and minimum eigen-value of 1.0 set as a criterion for cut-off. Six factors accounting for 75.3% of the common and specific variance were identified. Results of earlier studies reviewed showed that rapport with students, evaluation of assignments and feedback, availability of help, and course organisation are commonly found. The 'workload' and 'language or communications' factors found in this study are explained in terms of the bilingual context in which teaching and learning takes place in FALSS and the heterogeneous socio-cultural background of both the students and their teachers.