A MULTIDIMENSIONAL PERSPECTIVE ON STUDENTS EVALUATIONS OF TEACHING EFFECTIVENESS - REPLY TO ABRAMI AND DAPOLLONIA (1991)

The multidimensionality of students' evaluations of teaching effectiveness (SETEs) and responses to the Students' Evaluations of Educational Quality instrument has been demonstrated in previous research (Marsh, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1987, 1991; Marsh & Dunkin, in press; Marsh & Hocevar, 1991). Abrami and d'Apollonia (1991) argued against this multidimensional perspective on the basis of suggested limitations in my 1991 study (Marsh, 1991). Their comment, however, contained serious problems, including the following: (a) a failure to operationalize criteria of unidimensionality/multidimensionality; (b) a failure to distinguish between exploratory factor analysis, which has been used in most previous SETE research, and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), which was used in Marsh (1991); and (c) a failure to recognize and acknowledge the strengths of CFA. Despite concerns by Abrami and d'Apollonia, support for a multidimensional perspective remains strong.