SPURTHY COLLEGE OF

NURSING
BANGALORE
NURSING EDUCATION
ASSIGNMENT
ON
TOOLS FOR EVALUATION

RATING SCALE

Submitted to:
Submitted by : S SREENIVASON
MSc. Nursing 1st year,
SPURTHY CON, BANGALORE

RATING SCALE
INTRODUCATION:-

Rating is the term used to express opinion or judgment regarding

some performance of a person, object, situation and character. The
rating scaleinvolves qualitative description of a limited number of
aspects of a thing ortraits of a person. When we use rating scales,
we judge an object in absolute terms against some specified
criteria, i.e. we judge properties of objects without reference to
other similar objects. Rating is, essence, direct observation.Rating
scales resemble checklists but are used, when finer discrimination's
are required. Instead of merely indicating the presence or absence
of a trait or characteristic, it enables us to indicate the degree to
which trait is present.Rating scales provide systematic procedure for
obtaining, recording, and reporting the observers judgment. That
may be filled out while the observation is made, immediately after
the observation is made, or as often in the case, long after the
observation. There are other aspects of clinical performances that
don't lend themselves to be evaluated by checklists. For example,
the important aspect known as ‘attitude’ or ‘style’ is a part of all
interactions between nurses and other-which includes patients,
patient’s relatives, friends, village leader,administrator, managers,
and fellow members of the health team, etc. To evaluate such
aspects ‘rating scales’ are more likely to provide a better record
than checklist. A rating scale is a method by which we systematize
the expression of opinion concerning a trait. The ratings are done by
parents,teachers, a board of interviewers and judges and by the self
as well. The seratings scale given an idea of the personality of an
individual.
 DEFINITIONS OF A RATING SCALE-
Rating is a term applied to expression of opinion or judgement
regarding some situation, object or character. Opinions are usually
expressed on a scale of values.
-Barr and others

Rating scale refers to a scale with a set of opinion, which describes

varying degree of the dimensions of an attitude or a phenomenon
being observed.Rating scale is a device by which judgments may be
qualified or an opinion concerning a trait can be systematized.
-Suresh K. Sharma

A rating scale is a tool in which one person simply checks off

another person’s level of performance. It could be a 3-point, a 5-
point or a 7-point rating scale.Rating scales measure how much or
how well something happened, where generally quantitative and
qualitative terms are used to judge the performance.A wide variety
of attributes may be assessed by using rating scales.

Q. How frequently do you discuss with your clinical instructor the

difficulties encountered during clinical posting?

ALWAYS SOMETHING NEVER

FUNCTION OF RATING SCALES

 Direct observations towards specific aspects of behaviours.
 Provide a common frame of reference.
 Convenient method for recording the observers judgment.
PRINCIPLES OF RATING SCALES
 It should be educationally significant.
 It should be directly observable.
 It should be clearly defined.
 It should be between 3 and 7 positions and provided raters
should permit to mark at intermediate points.
 Raters should be oriented to specific scales.
 Raters should be ratings when they feel unqualified to judge.
 Rating from several observers should be combined whenever
possible.

TYPES OF RATING SCALES-

1.Graphic rating scale-

In this scale, the performance is printed horizontally at various
points from lowest to highest. It includes the numerical points on the
scale. It is anchored by two extremes presented to respondents for
the evaluation of a concept or object. Rating is made by placing a
check on the lie.

2.Descriptive rating scale-

This type of rating scale does not use numbers but divides the
assessment into a series of verbal phrases to indicate the level of
performance. Provide for each trait a list of descriptive phrases from
which the rater selects the one most applicable item being
rated,selected usually by means of a check mark. This type of scale
is generally the most desirable type of scale to use

3. Numerical rating scale-

It divides the evaluation criteria into a fixed number of points and
defines only numbers except at the extremes. In these scales, each
statement is generally assigned a numerical score ranging from 1 to
10 or even more. The rater assigns a code numbers and
approximate numbers to each trait of the person being rated or to
the descriptive phases. Arranged in order of degree, level, intensity
or frequency with which they indicate possession or lack of
occurrence of each trait. The number of specifications depends on
the nature of research problem. This is one of the simplest types of
rating scales. Typically a common key is used throughout, the key
provide a verbal description.DIRECTION: Encircle the appropriate
number showing the extend to which the pupil exhibits his skill in
questioning

KEY: 5-outstanding, 4-above average, 3-average, 2-below average,

1-unsatisfactory

SKILL

1. Questions were specific 1 2 3 4 5

2. Questions were relevant to topic discussed 1 2 3 4 5.

3. Questioning were grammatically correct, etc 1 2 3 4 5

4. Comparative rating scale-

The rater has clear knowledge of the activities of the given groups
or individuals. The positions on the rating scales are explicitly
defined in terms of a given population or group or in terms of people
with known characteristics. The rater may be asked to specify the
comparative ability of a teacher with reference to the teaching in a
college.In this type of rating scale, the rater makes a judgement
about a person’s attributes by comparing with other similar persons.
For example, Mr. Ram’s decision making abilities closely resemble
that of Mr. Shyam and Mr. Gopal. In this type of rating scale, the
rater must have beforehand knowledge about the selected
attributes of the people with whom the subjects are supposed to be
compared.

USES OF RATING SCALE

 Procedure evaluation
 Product evaluation
 Personal social development

DESIRABLE QUALITIES OF RATING SCALES

 Clarity
 Variety
 Simple
 Relevance
 Objectivity
 Precise
 Useful
 Uniqueness

CHARACTERISTICS OF A RATING SCALE-

 Rating scales are value judgements of the attributes of one

person by another person 

 These scales are most commonly used tools to carry out

structured observations.
 They are generally developed to make quantitative judgements
about qualitative attributes.

 They provide more flexibility to judge the level of performance
or presence of attributes among subjects.
 Guiford (1954) identified that a rating scale must have the
following basic characteristics that must be taken care of while c
onstruction of a rating scale.
 Clarity- The rating scale must be constructed using short,
concise statements in simple and unambiguous language.
 Relevance- The statement designed in a rating scale should be
relevant to the phenomenon and should be exactly in
accordance with the variables under study.
 Variety- While developing the rating scale, monotony of the
statements must be avoided and variety in different statements
must be ensured.
 Objectivity- The statement formed in a rating scale must be
objective in nature so that it is convenient for the rater to judge
the attributes or performances of the subjects under study.
 Uniqueness- Each statement constructed in a rating scale must
be unique in itself so that the attributes can be judged
appropriately.

ADVANTAGES OF A RATING SCALE

 Rating scales continue to be a part of the evaluation process for
nursing practice in many situations, because it has some
advantages as given below:
 Rating scales are easy to administer and score the measured
attributes.
 Technically, rating-scale is standard device for recording
qualitative and quatitative judgements about observed
performance.

 They measure specified outcomes or objectives of education
deemed to be significant or important to the teacher.
 The can help to reduce the subjectivity and unreliability that are
usually associated with observations method.
 Wide range of application
 Clarity of feedback to students.
 They have a wide range of application in nursing educational
evaluation.
 Graphic rating scale is more easy to make and less time-
consuming.
 Rating scales can be easily used for a large group.
 They are also used for quantitative methods.
 They may also be used for the assessment of interests, attitudes
and personal characteristics.
 They are used to evaluate performance and skills and product
outcomes.
 Rating scales are adaptable and flexible assessment
instruments.

DISADVANTAGES OF RATING SCALES-

 It is difficult or dangerous to fix up rating about many aspects of

an individual.
 Misuse can result in a decrease in objectivity.
 There are chances of subjective evaluation thus the scales may
become unscientific and reliable.
 Chances like the rater may over estimate the qualities of a
known person and underestimate those of unknown persons.
 Since the scales are standardised procedures, the items
(behaviour listed may or may not be consisted with stated
objectives for a particular course or learning experience. Some
 behaviours on the scale may be discontinued if they are not
relevant).


 There is a lack of uniformity with which terms are interpreted by

evaluators. This is particularly true with used to designate
various intervals in the rating continuum. An operational
definition that includes illustrations of acceptable behaviours for
each interval can facilitate reliability.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

 KP Neeraja, Textbook of Nursing Education, Jaypee Brothers

MedicalPublishers (P) Ltd, page- 430-43
 Elakkuvana Bhaskara Raj D, Emmess Medical Publishers,
SecondEdition, page- 230-231.
 BT Basavan thappa, Communication and Educational Technology
for Nurses, Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers (P) Ltd, page-
309-311