Student Feedback about Teaching (SFT)

SFT will be conducted for staff members in the following categories in the ways described:

1. 1.

   Current staff (>20 per cent time fraction) on fixed term and continuing contracts;

2. 2.

   Sessional staff currently teaching >30 hours per year or equivalent;

3. 3.

   At least one subject per year per person will be surveyed;

4. 4.

   All subjects taught by a staff member in a five year period shall be surveyed at least once;

5. 5.

   All information collected using SFT will be available to the PMP supervisor, Head of School and to the staff member concerned;

6. 6.

   Quantitative data will be available to the Executive Dean;

7. 7.

   The Head of School is required to consult with the PMP supervisor about relevant SFT data when a staff member applies for confirmation of a continuing appointment or promotion.

SFT will be conducted in teaching situations as is currently the case.

Trained SFT staff administer SFT questionnaires during class time during weeks 11 and 12 of study periods 1 and 2, or at another suitable time for block or off campus teaching. SFT does not collect student identity information.

Email notifications regarding SFT evaluations are sent to all teaching staff throughout the academic year. This email includes the evaluation dates and information on how to arrange for an evaluation. Teaching staff need to view the Teaching Evaluation website, read the information regarding SFT processes, and download an SFT Evaluation Form. This form asks for the details of the staff member, the subject, and times for the in class administration of the SFT evaluation. The evaluation is to be administered at a session taught by the staff member being evaluated, or written permission from the staff member taking the session is required. The staff member is required to return the evaluation form by the due date to the Teaching Evaluation office for processing. The Teaching Evaluation office will confirm details of the evaluation with the staff member, and if necessary the person taking the session on the day of the evaluation.

InClass Administration: SFT staff will arrive at the location and time given on the evaluation form. Administration of the questionnaire will take approximately 10 – 15 minutes. To help to ensure student confidentiality, all teaching staff are required to leave the room. The SFT staff member will instruct the students on the purpose and content of the questionnaire, and who the evaluation is for, they will then distribute and collect all the questionnaires. Any student may choose voluntarily not to complete the SFT questionnaire.

SFT staff will collect all spoiled questionnaires for subsequent destruction. Only questionnaires that have been completed and handed in during the session will be included in the data analysis. SFT staff reserves the right to exclude any questionnaires that have not been completed in accordance with these guidelines.

Data Handling and Analysis: The questionnaires are scanned and the Teaching Evaluation office generates summary reports. Data on individual staff will be described in terms of frequency distributions (number and percentage of responses at each point on a scale for each question) and, a graph indicating the individuals result and the average result of all evaluations undertaken for comparison purposes. The is also comparison with relevant norms developed from past relevant James Cook Evaluation of Teaching (JCET) data.

Completed questionnaires will be stored for approximately six months and then destroyed.

Distribution of Reports: Reports from the questionnaire will be distributed as outlined in Chapter 1 of the JCU Quality Audit Performance Portfolio. To protect student anonymity SFS and SFT reports will not be available if the number of responses for the subject evaluated is 5 or less. An information sheet will be included for people to use to interpret their results.