A Model for Interpreting Written Comments on Student Evaluations of Marketing Courses

Abstract

Virtually all of the 1,500–2,000 articles written about student evaluations of teachers have been related to scaled ratings. The literature contains very little research about written appraisals by students (i.e., comments on the back of student rating forms). Research suggests that written evaluations can be quite useful if the overall meaning is judged accurately. The author presents a model to help marketing educators understand the complex meaning of written comments and determine the vital issues that need to be addressed in future sections of the same course. The model, which utilizes content analysis and simple statistical tools, can significantly reduce the time and difficulty of accurately interpreting the overall meaning of what students write. Moreover, the model presents a specific method for determining which negative comments may be discounted and which changes should be made for the greatest benefit.