Northern Taiwanese EFL university instructors' perceptions toward student ratings of instruction

Student ratings of instruction (SRI) can be a valuable indicator of teaching because the quality measurement of instruction identifies areas where improvement is needed. SRI is expected to evaluate and enhance teaching strategies. Evaluation of teaching effectiveness has been officially implemented in Taiwanese higher education since 2005. This research investigated Taiwanese EFL university instructors' perceptions toward SRI and the impact of SRI on EFL instructors' classroom instruction. Two instruments were employed in this study. First, the quantitative data was collected by a 31-item survey questionnaire on a 5-point Likert scale for discovering the EFL instructors' background information and their perceptions toward SRI. Second, the qualitative data was collected by 8 open-ended questions addressing the influence of SRI on EFL instructors' classroom instruction from eight qualified participants. The total participants consisted of 32 faculty members from ten universities in the northern part of Taiwan. The results provide implications for not only future research studies, but also provide educators effective research findings in indicating the influence of SRI on teaching performance and instructional design.