Multilevel Evaluation of Teaching Quality in Higher Education Using Single-Valued Neutrosophic Set

Abstract

Evaluation of teaching quality is essential for teachers’ promotion, students’ course selection, and institutes’ standing. A multilevel evaluation framework for teaching quality in higher education was investigated by combining the Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) with the single-valued neutrosophic set (SVNS). An indicator system was constructed, including the teaching performance and the students’ learning outcomes. For the qualitative indicator values, an SVNS representation method was proposed, aiming to describe the uncertainty and improve the credibility and validity of the evaluation. Then, both the qualitative data and quantitative data were applied to the TOPSIS-based multilevel evaluation framework, which consisted of an overall assessment and five specific evaluations. The former assessment would provide a final rank and determine the best lecturers to be given priority in awards and promotion. The latter would focus on identifying areas where the lecturers could do better and would give them tips to overcome their challenges. Finally, a descriptive example was provided to verify the proposed framework and demonstrate its practicality.