Student feedback: a learning and teaching performance indicator

Abstract

Purpose – The paper aims to disseminate solutions to common problems in student evaluation processes. It proposes that student evaluation can be applied to quality assurance and improving learning and teaching. The paper presents solutions in the areas of: presenting outcomes as performance indicators, constructing appropriate surveys, improving response rates, reporting student feedback to students and student engagement as a feature of university quality assurance. Design/methodology/approach – The research approach of this paper is comparative case study, allowing in-depth exploration of multiple perspectives and practices at seven Australian universities. Process and outcome data were rigorously collected, analysed, compared and contrasted. Findings – The paper provides empirical evidence for student evaluation as an instrument of learning and teaching data analysis for quality improvement. It suggests that collecting data about student engagement and the student experience will yield more useful data about student learning. Furthermore, findings indicate that students benefit from more authentic inclusion in the evaluation process and outcomes. Research limitations/implications – Because of the chosen research approach, the research results may lack generalisability. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to test the proposed propositions further and apply to their own university contexts. Practical implications – The paper includes recommendations at the institution- and sector-wide levels to effectively use student evaluation as a university performance indicator and as a tool of change. Originality/value – This paper fulfils an identified need to examine student evaluation processes across institutions and focuses on the role of student evaluation in quality assurance.

Analysis of Factors Affecting Student Evaluation of Teaching Effectiveness in Saudi Higher Education: The Case of Jubail University College

“…The proponents of SETE suggest that it is a source of rich insight on teaching effectiveness and student learning experience, and that it is potentially efficacious and authentic indicator of teaching performance as long as the data generated are used as primary rather than generalized [12]. According to Mary [16] SETE are widely used in tenure and promotion decisions, and in assessing merit.…”

University lecturers’ emotional responses to and coping with student feedback: a Finnish case study

“…Theoretical framework Student feedback Scott (2014) acknowledges that the term "feedback" has often been left undefined; however, the use of student feedback in attempts to enhance the quality of teachers' work is widespread (Gaertner 2014;Kinash et al 2015). Moreover, student feedback is gaining relevance for the evaluation of teaching (Nair et al 2010) and is in some higher education contexts used for decision-making on promotion and tenure (Zakka 2009).…”

Student Evaluations of Teaching: Is There a Relationship between Student Feedback on Teaching and the Student Final Grade?

“…There is much debate surrounding the validity and utility of Student Evaluations of Teaching (SET) within the current literature. Some papers have posited that such evaluations are important mechanisms for improving not only teaching practice but also course content (e.g., Borman & Kimball, 2005;Kinash et al, 2015;Richardson, 2010;Secret, Bentley, & Kadolph, 2016), while some authors have raised concerns around its validity and utility (e.g., Hornstein, 2017;Spooren, Brock, & Mortelmans, 2013). According to Hornstein (2017), studies on the validity of SET "have been beset by questionable conceptual and statistical interpretations … [that] … have rendered the conclusions questionable at best" (p. 5).…”