South African Medical Journal (Nov 2022)
Evaluation of the performance of lecturers in general surgery by 4th- and 6th-year MB ChB students at the University of Limpopo, Polokwane, South Africa
Abstract
Background. Students’ evaluation of teaching performance is one of the important means of measuring the quality of higher education worldwide. Students are valuable contributors to improvement of the teaching performance of lecturers. For any academic institution, it is very important to receive feedback on teaching quality from students. Objectives. To determine lecturers’ performance as evaluated by undergraduate students in general surgery, with the aim of identifying the lecturers’ strengths and planning tactics for any necessary improvement measures. Methods. This study followed a descriptive research design to evaluate seven lecturers in general surgery by 4th- and 6th-year MB ChB students at the University of Limpopo, Polokwane, South Africa. Results. Seven lecturers were evaluated by the students. From the study results, there is strong evidence that the majority of the participants were satisfied with 5/7 lecturers’ interpersonal skills and communication and presentation style, including an overall rating (p<0.0001). Two lecturers were considered by the students to require some level of improvement in performance (p<0.0001). Conclusion. General surgery students expressed satisfaction with the teaching performance of most members of the academic staff. However, some lecturers need to improve with regard to audibility and preparation for slide presentations.
Keywords