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Student evaluation of teaching, social influence dynamics, and teachers’ choices: An evolutionary model

Author

Listed:
  • Angelo Antoci

    (University of Sassari)

  • Irene Brunetti

    (INAPP, National Institute for Public Policy Analysis)

  • Pierluigi Sacco

    (IULM University Milan
    Bruno Kessler Foundation
    metaLAB (at) Harvard)

  • Mauro Sodini

    (University of Pisa)

Abstract

The issue of Student Evaluation of Teaching has been explored by a large literature across many decades. However, the role of social influence factors in determining teachers’ responses to a given incentive and evaluation framework has been left basically unexplored. This paper makes a first attempt in this vein by considering an evolutionary game-theoretic context where teachers face a two-stage process in which their rating depends on both students’ evaluation of their course and on retrospective students’ evaluation of their teaching output in view of students’ performance in a related follow-up course. We find that both high effort (difficult course offered) and low effort (easy course offered) outcomes may emerge, leading either to a socially optimal outcome for teachers or not, according to cases. Moreover, there may be a potential conflict between the optimal outcome for students and for teachers. We also consider possible ways to generalize our model in future research.

Suggested Citation

  • Angelo Antoci & Irene Brunetti & Pierluigi Sacco & Mauro Sodini, 2021. "Student evaluation of teaching, social influence dynamics, and teachers’ choices: An evolutionary model," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 31(1), pages 325-348, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:joevec:v:31:y:2021:i:1:d:10.1007_s00191-020-00705-4
    DOI: 10.1007/s00191-020-00705-4
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Student Evaluation of Teaching (SET); Teacher effort; Teacher motivation; Strategic interaction between teachers; Human capital;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I21 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Education - - - Analysis of Education
    • C73 - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods - - Game Theory and Bargaining Theory - - - Stochastic and Dynamic Games; Evolutionary Games
    • D79 - Microeconomics - - Analysis of Collective Decision-Making - - - Other

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