Efficiency Evaluation of EAP Teacher Performance at a Tertiary Level Using DEA: A Case Study in Eastern Mediterranean University

Identifying significant indicators of teaching-learning performance affecting the efficiency of teachers in tertiary level at university is an indispensable factor in upholding the quality of teaching in English for Academic Purposes (EAP) courses in higher education. The present study has tried to evaluate the relative efficiency of teachers’ performance in English for Academic Purpose (EAP) courses, followed by identifying the most significant indicators of teaching-learning performance using Students’ Course-instructor Evaluation (SCE) survey and the students’ final grades. Furthermore, it attempts to prioritize the significant teaching indicators affecting the teachers’ performance in English for Academic courses. For this purpose, the study applies Data Envelopment Analysis, Performance Improvement Management Software (PIM-DEA) on related courses for 10.000 students’ data in four consistent academic years. First, the efficiency performance of EAP teachers is evaluated and later, a sensitivity analysis and weight analysis are applied to identify the most significant learner-instructor indicator which has impact on the EAP teacher performance. Identifying the significant learner-instructor analysis is done in two different methods in PIM-DEA to prove the validity of the analysis. The study is finalized with an interview with EAP teachers to ameliorate the efficiency performance of EAP teachers. The result of the analysis accentuates the significant indicators that impact the teachers’ performance. It reveals that the degree of student satisfaction in relation to assignments, exams, and grading systems are significant factors related to the efficiency of teacher performance. The study has been finalized by concrete proposals for teachers to enhance the quality of teaching performance in EAP classes.