The Relevance of Classroom Audits and Student Feedback on Teacher Effectiveness

Abstract

Measuring of performance for lecturers’ has become a popular event not only in the Botswana academic environment but in many parts of the world (16). Being charged with responsibilities as an AAT Team Leader the researcher was interested in getting feedbacks for faculty members in his department. This study focused on the relationship between classroom audits, student feedbacks and students’ throughput. This study used a mixed method for data collection. This research positions itself into two paradigms between the adherents’ quantitative approach ‘QUAN’ and qualitative approach ‘QUAL’. The population for lecturers who were teaching AAT at Botho University during the time of the research was 23. A quantitative content analysis was followed with a focus group. The researcher used a convenient sampling to select 12 lecturers to participate in the focus group. Face-to- face interviews were conducted on 6 lecturers who were conveniently selected from the 12 participants who were part of the focus group. There were comparisons between quantitative content analysis, focus group and face- to- face interviews in order to determine the truth from the participants. The results of this study revealed that there was no relationship between the classroom audits, student feedback and students throughput. Additional instruments methods were recommended to evaluate lecturers’ performance. The findings from this research may assist Botho University and other universities world-wide.