Title: What Rate My Professors ratings indicate about effective teaching in economics

Authors: Junaid B. Jahangir

Addresses: MacEwan University, 7-368, 10700 104 Ave., Edmonton AB T5J-4S2, Canada

Abstract: Four questions pertaining to effective teaching are addressed through content analysis of student comments at the Rate My Professors website for economics instructors at two universities in Edmonton. First, do student comments capture effective teaching? Second, why are economics instructors rated lower than those in other social sciences? Third, do contract instructors lower teaching standards through easy classes and grade inflation? Finally, are quality instructors penalised for rigorous standards? The analysis suggests that student comments capture many attributes of effective teaching but not critical thinking. There exists some evidence on contract instructors offering easy as just as there exist individual cases of instructors being penalised for maintaining rigorous standards. These findings suggest that administration should focus on student comments instead of average numerical scores. Effective instructors should not be penalised when student comments emphasise easy grades as part of the corporate model of education instead of learning and critical thinking.

Keywords: Rate My Professors ratings; effective teaching; easy as and corporate education; teaching economics.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEED.2022.123807

International Journal of Education Economics and Development, 2022 Vol.13 No.3, pp.278 - 301

Received: 28 Mar 2021
Accepted: 04 May 2021
Published online: 04 Jul 2022 *

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