Designing student feedback questionnaires
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/09684880310488454 |
| Date | 01 September 2003 |
| Pages | 142-149 |
| Published date | 01 September 2003 |
| Author | Jennifer Rowley |
| Subject Matter | Education |
Designing student
feedback
questionnaires
Jennifer Rowley
Introduction
Student evaluation of teaching (SET) or, we
might argue, student evaluation of learning
(SEL) is an important component of quality
management systems in higher education,
and may also contribute to student
reflection upon their learning. In the UK
there is an expectation that module or
course evaluation is embedded in quality
management systems. A common approach
to data collection is to use feedback
questionnaires, although a wide range of other
options, such as focus groups, and snowball
evaluation can be adopted. However, in
general there has been limited sharing of
practice in this area. For example, Coles, as
recently as 2002, says:
... there would seem to be little uniformity
about the content and delivery of the actual
assessment instrument, the value of the results
and the usage to which the results may be put
(Coles, 2002, p. 30).
In the USA and Australia, where student
feedback influences tenure and promotion
decisions, a significant industry has grown
up which seeks to dispute the validity of
such instruments, and to pursue the design
of more robust instruments. This has
fuelled a very quantitative approach to
questionnaire design which assumes that
there are a number of independent variables
that influence student evaluation, attitudes, or
expressions of satisfaction. Despite all of this
work, Westerman et al. (2002, p. 5) assert
that:
... few instructors reported changing
instructions as a result of student ratings.
Moreover, few supported sending evaluation
results directly to college administrators or
publishing them for student consumption.
These indicators and the debate about validity
and appropriateness that is summarised below
would suggest that there remains a need to
revisit issues around the design and use of
student feedback questionnaires. This article
first reviews the literature and surfaces the
concerns about current work in this area, and
then proposes a number of questions that
need to be considered in the research design
for the collection of student feedback.
Answers to these questions should influence
the exact design that is undertaken in
different circumstances.
The author
Jennifer Rowley is Head of the School of Management
and Social Sciences, Edge Hill College of Higher
Education, Ormskirk, UK.
Keywords
Students, Feedback, United Kingdom
Abstract
This article reviews the literature on student feedback
questionnaires (SFQs), with a view to proposing some
guidelines for the design of SFQs, and the processes
associated with data collection, analysis and use. Despite
a long and established tradition of use, practice in this
area remains diverse, and research generates debate. This
article first reviews the literature and surfaces the
concerns about current work in this area, and then
discusses the following questions that need to be
considered in the research design for the collection of
student feedback: What are the objectives of the
evaluation process? Can standard questionnaires be
developed to serve a range of purposes? What issues
should be covered by the questions included on the
questionnaire? How should data be collected, analysed
and used? Answers to these questions should influence
the exact design that is undertaken in different
circumstances.
Electronic access
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http://www.emeraldinsight.com/researchregister
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is
available at
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142
Quality Assurance in Education
Volume 11 .Number 3 .2003 .pp. 142-149
#MCB UP Limited .ISSN 0968-4883
DOI 10.1108/09684880310488454
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