Why Does the System of Student Evaluation of Teaching in Chinese Universities Fail——A Qualitative Research Based on the Interviews with Undergraduates

Guided by the Cognitive Behavioral Theory, this study conducted interviews with 28 undergraduate students and applied coding analysis to examine their perceptions and behaviors regarding Student Evaluation of Teaching (SET). The findings reveal a cognitive conflict between students' idealistic expectations and the harsh reality of SET. Behaviorally, students tend to adopt a perfunctory approach, often providing habitual high ratings. However, through deeper reflection, they still express hope for the improvement of the SET system. The ineffectiveness of SET is manifested in its degeneration into a mere formality. Its root causes lie in outdated evaluation concepts and the marginalization of its institutional status, while its consequences include a loss of respect for teaching among both students and faculty. To address these issues, universities should redefine the guiding principles of SET such as emphasizing student agency, promoting teaching development, and encouraging pedagogical reform. Furthermore, the evaluation design should be optimized in line with contemporary assessment theories by incorporating process-oriented, personalized, and qualitative elements. Finally, effective feedback and application of SET results must be ensured to truly support teaching improvement and to enhance the weight of teaching quality in faculty performance reviews and promotion criteria.