There is plenty of speculation over whether teacher-accountability systems should include evaluations from students. Students, the argument in favor of the idea goes, are the best and most logical judges of teacher effectiveness since they are actually in the learning environment.
If that is true, high school teachers in Providence, R.I., just got a failing mark from their students.
A student-sponsored survey in the district found that high schoolers are generally not happy with their teachers.
The survey collected information from nearly 1,700 students, or about 21 percent of the city’s public high schoolers. Common complaints included: Teachers don’t explain information clearly, rely too heavily on handouts and textbooks in class instead of hands-on lessons, and sometimes make discouraging comments.
There were some positive findings. For instance, some students indicated that there are, in every school, effective teachers who are skilled in their craft and dedicated to student learning.
Also, youths at schools with fewer students consistently reported a higher level of satisfaction in all categories, like receiving help, teachers being encouraging, and more hands-on learning.
Read more about this here.