Student Evaluation of Courses in Health Care Professions: A Scoping Review.

BACKGROUND

In higher education, student evaluations of courses (SECs) inform the achievement of learning outcomes, accreditation requirements, curricular improvement, and teaching quality, yet research focused on health care education is limited.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the literature on SECs in academic health care education and identify themes and best practices.

METHODS

Databases were searched from 2015 to 2026. Exclusion criteria included continuing education, program evaluations, reviews, commentaries, non-peer-reviewed publications, and non-English manuscripts.

RESULTS

Analysis of 44 studies revealed 5 themes: (1) processes/methods for course evaluations, (2) improving the effectiveness of course evaluations, (3) improving response rates, (4) student and faculty perspectives on course evaluations, and (5) bias in course evaluations.

CONCLUSION

SECs in health care education are multifaceted. Best practices include using validated instruments, diverse feedback methods, and response-rate strategies, and addressing bias. Future research should focus on standardization and the effects of evaluation-driven changes on educational outcomes.