The purpose of the study was to compare at the overall sample, the student’s ratings on teachers evaluation and the variables related to the characteristics of the Professor and the course in the overall sample, and identify the relationships of these variables in the subsample of Health Sciences. 108,422 students participated and 4,482 courses were assessed over six semester periods at a public Mexican university. Descriptive, comparative statistical (ANOVA, Factorial ANOVA and regression) and relational analysis were performed to identify the relationship of the variables with teaching effectiveness. The results show statistically significant differences between the groups that make up each of the following variables: teaching experience, type of employment, teachers’ educational achievements, research recognition, gender; area of expertise, and group size. Furthermore, different results were obtained from the sample and the subsample. The study concludes favoring the consideration of the particularities of the pedagogical context in the interpretation of the scores, and the importance of having empirical evidence which could support the reorientation of public policy in higher education.

Faculty evaluation, teaching effectiveness, student ratings of instruction, bias.