Münster questionnaire for the evaluation of lectures (MFE-V)

Abstract

The Münster questionnaire for the evaluation of lectures (MFE-V) is an efficient, short-form instrument designed for the standardized teaching evaluation of university lectures. It was developed as a core component of a more comprehensive, web-based system for evaluating teaching quality at the Department of Psychology, University of Münster. The MFE-V focuses on two critical dimensions of instructional success: the lecturer’s professional appearance or behavior (Dozentenauftreten) and the quality of the teaching methods (Didaktik). The instrument is characterized by its economy, making it particularly suitable for online administration where high student participation and low respondent burden are prioritized.

Keywords

Teaching evaluation, Lecture assessment, Lecturer behavior, Didactics, Higher education quality, Psychometrics, Short scale

Authors

Dr. Dipl.-Psych. Meinald Thielsch, Dr. Dipl.-Psych. Gerrit Hirschfeld

Purpose

The primary purpose of the MFE-V is to serve as an economical and validated tool for teaching evaluation within a structured, web-based system. Developed specifically for online implementation, the MFE-V aims to provide actionable feedback for instructors and contribute to quality assurance efforts in higher education. The scale was constructed to minimize student burden while capturing the most crucial aspects of teaching effectiveness, thereby securing a high voluntary participation rate.

The scale allows for the identification of strengths and weaknesses in lectures across faculty, departmental, and university levels. Furthermore, the associated online system facilitates the comparison of results across different courses, offering enhanced feedback capabilities for academic staff at the University of Münster.

Construct

The MFE-V measures the construct of Lehrevaluation (Teaching Evaluation) by focusing on two distinct, yet correlated, sub-dimensions crucial for instructional success, based on models like Rindermann’s (2001) multimodal condition model:

• Dozentenauftreten (Lecturer Appearance/Behavior): This subscale assesses the lecturer’s engagement, responsiveness to student concerns, and rhetorical skill (e.g., confidence in speaking).
• Didaktik (Didactics): This subscale assesses the quality of the lecture’s structure, the effectiveness of teaching materials, and the use of relevant examples to facilitate comprehension.

The instrument is designed to concentrate on these central areas, ensuring a high degree of economy and efficiency compared to longer, less focused evaluation tools.

Validity

The validity of the MFE-V primarily rests on its Content Validity (Inhaltsvalidität). The items were selected to specifically target the most important factors influencing teaching success, aligning with established models of instructional quality, such as those proposed by Rindermann (2001).

The MFE-V is a shortened version of an original, more extensive 17-item module (Grabbe, 2003). By focusing on the core aspects of instructor behavior and pedagogical methods, the scale ensures that the brief measurement captures domains highly relevant to student judgments of course quality, thereby strengthening its applicability despite its brevity. The successful confirmation of the intended two-factor structure through statistical analysis further supports the validity of the scale’s design.

Reliability

The internal consistency of the MFE-V subscales is evaluated using Cronbach’s Alpha, yielding favorable results given the short nature of the scales (three items each). The reliability coefficients are documented as follows:

• Dozentenauftreten (Lecturer Appearance): Cronbach’s Alpha = .80
• Didaktik (Didactics): Cronbach’s Alpha = .78

These values indicate good internal consistency and align favorably with reliability statistics reported for more extensive German teaching evaluation instruments (e.g., FEVOR, HILVE, KIEL, or TRIL).

Factor Analysis

The underlying dimensional structure of the MFE-V was examined using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) applied to new data collected from subsequent surveys, confirming the structure derived from earlier exploratory analyses (Haaser, 2006). A linear confirmatory measurement model with two correlated factors (Lecturer Appearance and Didactics) was tested using the conventional Maximum Likelihood estimator via AMOS.

The two-factor model demonstrated an acceptable fit to the data (N = 140), with fit indices supporting the hypothesized structure: Chi-Square = 15 (df = 8), TLI = .96, CFI = .98, and RMSEA = .08. The correlation observed between the two subscales (Dozentenauftreten and Didaktik) was moderate, measuring .46, suggesting distinct but related constructs. Item characteristics, including mean values, standard deviations, item-total correlations, and factor loadings, are documented and confirm the satisfactory psychometrics of the six core items.

Instrument

Test Type: Standardized psychological questionnaire for teaching quality assessment.

Format: Short-form questionnaire comprising 11 items in total, with 6 core items distributed across two subscales (Dozentenauftreten and Didaktik). The core items (3-8) utilize a 7-point Likert scale (1 = völlig unzutreffend [completely inaccurate] to 7 = völlig zutreffend [completely accurate]).

Language Available: German (deutsch).

Population Group: University Students (Studierende).

Age Group: Adults (18 to 67 years old, M = 23.1, SD = 3.6).

Population Details: The evaluation data were collected between Winter Semester 2002/3 and Summer Semester 2008, totaling 9757 individual evaluations. The majority of respondents (71.9%) were Psychology majors at the University of Münster. The sample used for detailed psychometric analysis (N=140) was carefully selected to ensure independent responses by filtering for unique demographic profiles.

Test Methodology: The instrument is administered via a web-based platform developed using PHP and MySQL databases, facilitating efficient collection, automated scoring, and online presentation of results.

Keywords

Teaching quality, University lectures, Student feedback, Teaching evaluation, Instructional design, Psychometrics, Confirmatory Factor Analysis

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not specified

Affiliation Email addresses: [email protected]; [email protected]

Correspondence Address: Dr. Dipl.-Psych. Meinald Thielsch, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Psychologisches Institut 1, Fliednerstr. 21, 48149 Münster, Germany.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

Permissions/Fee: The instrument was developed for internal use within the Department of Psychology at the University of Münster. Specific licensing or commercial fee information is not provided in the source documentation.

Test Year: The scale was developed based on a module used between Winter Semester 2002/3 and Summer Semester 2005. The validated, reduced version (MFE-V) was analyzed using data collected up to the Summer Semester 2008.

Reference’s

• Gediga, G., Schiefele, H., & Stender, O. (2000). Die Kieler Skalen zur Lehrevaluation (KIEL). In J. F. Rindermann (Ed.), Lehrevaluation (pp. 209-224). Landau: Verlag Empirische Pädagogik.
• Gollwitzer, M., & Schlotz, W. (2003). TRIL: Tübinger Rating-Instrument zur Lehrevaluation. In M. R. Textor & A. W. H. Stiensmeier-Pelster (Eds.), Forschung und Entwicklung im Bereich der Lehrevaluation (pp. 119-140). Tübingen: DGPs.
• Grabbe, S. (2003). Entwicklung eines Evaluationsbogens zur Erfassung der Qualität von Lehrveranstaltungen. Unveröffentlichte Diplomarbeit, Fachbereich Psychologie, Universität Münster.
• Gritz, W., Soucek, S. & Bacher, J. (2005). Online-Befragungen in der Lehrevaluation. Zeitschrift für Pädagogik, 51, 499-521.
• Haaser, A. (2006). Evaluation der Lehrevaluation. Unveröffentlichte Diplomarbeit, Fachbereich Psychologie, Universität Münster.
• Haaser, A., Thielsch, M. T., & Moeck, P. (2007). Web-based student ratings of instruction: Evidence on data quality and acceptance. European Journal of Psychological Assessment, 23(4), 227-234.
• Rindermann, H. (1996). Evaluation der Lehre. In K. J. Klauer (Ed.), Handbuch Pädagogische Psychologie (pp. 379-397). Göttingen: Hogrefe.
• Rindermann, H. (2001). Das Göttinger Hochschul-Lehrevaluationsinstrument (HILVE). Zeitschrift für Pädagogische Psychologie, 15(4), 215-227.
• Staufenbiel, T. (2000). FEVOR: Frankfurter Evaluationsbogen für Vorlesungen. In J. F. Rindermann (Ed.), Lehrevaluation (pp. 195-208). Landau: Verlag Empirische Pädagogik.
• Thielsch, M. T., Haaser, A., & Moeck, P. (2008). Web-based teaching evaluation: Data quality and acceptance. Vortrag gehalten auf dem 46. Kongress der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Psychologie, Jena.

Items of the Münster questionnaire for the evaluation of lectures (MFE-V)

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

Items zu Dozentenauftreten (Items on Lecturer Appearance/Behavior)

Items zu Didaktik (Items on Didactics)

Zusätzlich vorgegebene, hier aber nicht weiter behandelte Items (Additional Items, not further analyzed here)