The Limited Utility of Factor Analytic Techniques for the Study of Implicit Theories in Student Ratings of Teacher Behavior

Abstract

Recent research suggests that student ratings of teacher behavior may be significantly influenced by the students’ implicit theories about the way specific teacher behaviors covary. One technique that has been used to investigate the operation of these implicit theories is factor analysis. It is argued here, however, that factor analysis is of only limited value in this pursuit. It is shown that although factor analytic techniques employing ratings of naturally occurring behavior may be useful for demonstrating the existence of implicit theories of behavioral covariation, these techniques are not adequate for evaluating either the accuracy of these implicit theories or the amount of error they contribute to the rating process.