KING GEORGE’S MEDICAL UNIVERSITY

K.G.M.U COLLEGE OF NURSING

SUBJECT: NURSING EDUCATION

ASSIGNMENT ON: RATING SCALE

Submitted to: Submitted by:

Mr. Migron Rubin Mr. Malay Rai

Clinical Instructor M.Sc. Nursing 1st Year

Submitted on:

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 RATING SCALE

Rating is the term used to express opinion or judgment regarding

some performance of a person, object, situation, and character. The rating scale involves
qualitative description of a limited number of aspects of a thing or traits 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 discriminations 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 do not
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 systematise 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. These ratings 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

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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.
FUNCTION OF RATING SCALE
 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
description also helps to clarify and further define a particular dimension.
3. Numerical rating scale-

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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.
4. Comparative rating scale-
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
person she 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

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 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 construction 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 quantitative
judgements about observed performance.
 They measure specified outcomes or objectives of education deemed to be significant or
important to the teacher.
 They 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.

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 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 bed is continued 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.

CONCLUSION

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As with other evaluating instruments, it should be constructed in accordance with the learning
outcomes to be evaluated and its use should be confined to those areas in which there are a
sufficient opportunity to make the necessary observations.

REFERENCE
 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 Basavanthappa, Communication and Educational Technology for Nurses, Jaypee
Brothers Medical Publishers (P) Ltd, page- 309-311.
 Sharma k suresh Sharma reena. communication and education technology 2 edition
Elsevier publication
 Sodhi Kaur Jaspreet , Comprehensive Textbook of Nursing Education. New Delhi : J P
Publisher ; 2017
 Basheer P. Shebeer . Text Book of Nursing Education . Karnataka : Emmess Medical
Publisher .
 R Sudha, Nursing education Principles and Concepts, Jaypee Publication, first edition
 B Shankarnarayanan, Learning and teaching nursing. Fourth edittion, Jaypee
Publication