Development and Validation of Behaviorally-Anchored Rating Scales for Student Evaluation of Pharmacy Instruction

The study purpose was to improve pharmacy instruction by identifying dimensions of teaching unique to pharmacy education and developing reliable and valid rating scales for student evaluation of instruction. Error-producing problems in the use of student ratings of instruction, existing rating methods and dimensions of effective teaching are reported. Rationale is provided for development of Behaviorally-Anchored Rating Scales, BARS, and the methods used are described. In a national study, 4,300 descriptions of pharmacy teaching were collected in nine critical incident writing workshops at four types of schools. Ten dimensions of pharmacy teaching were identified and validated for classroom, laboratory and experiential teaching. Scales were developed for each dimension. Measures of scale quality are described including retranslation data, standard deviations of effectiveness ratings, reliability and validity data and data supporting reduction of leniency and central tendency effects. Four outcomes of the project are discussed, emphasizing two: use of the newly-validated dimensions in modification of traditional numerically-anchored scales in local use, and of BARS in providing clear and convincing performance feedback to pharmacy instructors.