Do student perceptions of teaching effectiveness align with objective measures of learning?

Student evaluations of teaching effectiveness are common in universities and are frequently considered in decisions about tenure, promotion, and raises. Given their potential impact, it is important to understand the degree to which they align with objective measures of teaching effectiveness. Several recent studies have indicated that higher ratings are not associated with higher course performance but that they are associated with the perceived gender of the instructor (e.g., Boring et al, 2016). This study contributes to the research base through the analysis of data from 42 pairs of introductory calculus-based physics classes. In each pair, lectures were designed and delivered by different instructors but all other course components (midterm exams, textbook, homework assignments, laboratories, tutorials, etc.) were identical. In 24/42 pairs, the class in which the median rating of the ``effectiveness of the instructor'' was higher also had higher exam scores. Results from analyses of the relative magnitude of these differences suggest that any effect is small but becomes more noticeable when only same-gender pairs are considered.