Development of a Tool to Assess University Professors’ Instructional Competency based on Learner Evaluation
Authors:   Korean Association For Learner-Centered Curriculum And Instruction, Kim Raeyoung , Yu Byeong Min 
Published: February 2025

Objectives This study was conducted to supplement the controversy over the validity of the existing self-assess ment method of instructional competency assessment in terms of assessing the actual level, the problem that learner have been overlooked as the subject of evaluation in the teaching competency assessment, and the limi tation that the fragmentary information provided through lecture evaluations lacks utility for professor. Accordingly, we aimed to specifically derive the intructional competency required of professor for successful uni versity instruction, and develop and validate a tool that can assess professors' intructional competency based on learner evaluations.
Methods In order to derive the components and write the items, a literature review, an open-ended survey on desirable university instruction, Delphi surveys, preliminary surveys, pilot surveys, and main surveys were conducted. The 250 data collected through the pilot survey were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis, and the 385 data collected through the main survey were analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis including high er-order confirmatory factor analysis, convergent validity, discriminant validity, cross-validity(measurement equivalence), and reliability.
Results The final tool consists of 3 competency groups, 8 sub-competency, a assessment index that summarizes the concept definitions for each sub-competency, and 45 items. The 3 competency groups are ‘Instructional Preparation, Instructional Implementation, and Instructional Evaluation and Improvement’. Instructional Preparation competency group consists of 2 sub-competencies: ‘Understanding learner characteristics and Instructional Design and Development’. The number of items is 3 items for Understanding Learner Characteristics and 9 items for Instructional Design and Development. Instructional Implementation competency group consists of 5 sub-competency: ‘Content Expertise, Learning Motivation Enhancement, Facilitation of Content Understanding, Coaching, and Promotion of Communication’. The number of items is 3 items for Content Expertise, 8 items for Learning Motivation Enhancement, 6 items for Facilitation of Content Understanding, 6 items for Coaching, and 6 items for Promotion of Communication. ‘Instructional Evaluation and Improvement’ is a single factor that is both a competency group and a sub-competency. The number of items is four. Each item is rated from 1 (not at all) to 5 (very much).
Conclusions The fact that learner, who are the demanders of education, evaluate the competency of professor and professor utilize the results of the learner evaluations is significant as a way to realize learner-centered education. In addition, it is significant as a tool that can assess the level of instructional competency more ob jectively and practically than self-assessment type competency assessment tool, and as a tool that can provide more practical help to professor because it is composed of specific criteria and items compared to lecture evaluations.