Student evaluation of teaching (SET) in dental faculty: is it influenced by grouping the students according to their averages?

Purpose/objectives: Student evaluation of teaching (SET) is a crucial method for assessing teaching performance in higher education. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of grouping students by their academic averages on SET results in dental education. Methods: In this descriptive-analytical study, 109 dental students were divided into five groups based on their academic averages: 48 in the top 30%, 15 in the top 10%, 17 in the middle 10%, 16 in the lower 10%, and 48 randomly selected from the bottom 30%. These groups completed questionnaires evaluating five university professors across four aspects: teaching methods, academic proficiency, communication and behavior, and organization and discipline in theoretical lessons. Two weeks later, internal reliability was assessed by redistributing the questionnaires to 10% of participants. Statistical analyses were performed using Chi-Square and ANOVA with SPSS 18, considering results significant at P < 0.05. Results: The internal reliability of the statements was moderate. Significant differences in mean scores among rater groups were observed for teaching methods (P = 0.001), academic proficiency (P = 0.043), and communication and behavior (P = 0.012). However, no significant difference was found for organization and discipline (P = 0.855). Conclusion: Grouping students according to their averages may influence SET in certain teaching aspects. However, this approach does not appear to affect professors' organization and discipline evaluation.