Measuring what matters: the positioning of students in feedback processes within national student satisfaction surveys

Figures & data

Table 1. Survey items extracted.

Country	Name of Survey	Items extracted	% of total items extracted
Australia	Course Experience Questionnaire	The staff put a lot of time into commenting on my work	17
		The teaching staff normally gave me helpful feedback on how I was going
	Student Experience Survey	To what extent have the lecturers, tutors and demonstrators: commented on your work in ways that help you learn?	2
Canada	Canadian University Survey Consortium	Most of my professors: Provide useful feedback on my academic work	.09
		Most of my professors: Provide prompt feedback on my academic work
Denmark	Learning Questionnaire (da Læringsbarometeret)	I feel I get enough feedback on what I do on the programme (e.g. individual or collective feedback from teachers, peers or supervisors)	6
		The feedback I receive helps me continue working on what I need to learn
		On my study programme, I continuously receive feedback on what I do
		What I have not quite understood is made more clear by the feedback I receive
		My teachers provide me with helpful feedback
Finland	HowULearn	I receive enough feedback about my learning	6
		The feedback given on my work helps me to improve my ways of learning and studying
		The feedback given on my set work helps to clarify things I hadn't fully understood
Ireland	Irish Survey of Student Engagement	During the current academic year, about how often have you: Discussed your performance with academic staff?	6
		During the current academic year, how often have you: Worked on assessments that informed you how well you are learning?
		During the current academic year, to what extent have lecturers/teaching staff: Provided feedback on a draft or work in progress?
		During the current academic year, to what extent have lecturers/teaching staff: Provided prompt and detailed feedback on tests or completed assignments?
Netherlands	NSE National Student Survey (Nationale Studenten Enquête)	How satisfied are you about: Quality of feedback your teachers provide?	1
Norway	Studiebarometeret	This far in your studies, how often have you: Received feedback from academic staff on your written work before final submission?	7
		This far in your studies, how often have you: Received feedback from academic staff after final submission of your work?
		This far in your studies, how often have you: Received feedback from academic staff on non-written work?
		This far in your studies, how often have you: Received feedback from other students on written or non-written work?
		This far in your studies, how often have you: Discussed your academic progression/results with academic staff?
		How satisfied are you with: The number of times you have received feedback from academic staff on your work?
		How satisfied are you with: The academic staff's ability to give constructive feedback on your work?
		How satisfied are you with: Your fellow students’ ability to give constructive feedback on your work?
UK	National Student Survey (NSS)	Feedback on my work has been timely	7
		I have received helpful comments on my work
USA	National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE)	How often did you: Discuss your academic performance with a faculty member?	3
		During the current school year, to what extent have your instructors done the following? Provided feedback on a draft or work in progress
		During the current school year, to what extent have your instructors done the following? Provided prompt and detailed feedback on tests or completed assignments

Table 2. Coding scheme.

Dimension	Codes	Description
Agent	Teacher	The item assesses what teachers do
	Student	The item assesses what students do or asks them to assess what they feel about their reception of feedback
	Peer	The item assesses what peers do
	Feedback	The item asks students to assess what ‘feedback’ does
Key Verbs	Not pre-specified	The main verbs in the item that relate to feedback
Representation of Feedback	Product	Feedback is represented as a product, as something that can be given and received
	Process	Feedback is represented as a process, involving ongoing cycles of dialogue and action.
Nature of Evaluation	Timing	The item assesses the promptness or other dimension of timing of feedback return
	Frequency	The item assesses the frequency of feedback
	Value	The item assesses the utility of feedback
	Quality	The item assesses features of the feedback
Implied role of student	Passive	Category 1 (No student role, transmission model) or Category 2 (Limited student role, information processing model) in Van der Kleij, Adie, and Cumming (2019)
	Active	Category 3 (Some student role, communication model) or Category 4 (Substantial student role, dialogic model) in Van der Kleij, Adie, and Cumming (2019)

Table 3. Agents in survey items.

Agent	Frequency	Example
Teacher	19	How satisfied are you about: Quality of feedback your teachers provide? (Netherlands)
Peer	3	How satisfied are you with Your fellow students’ ability to give constructive feedback on your work? (Norway)
Student	0	-
Feedback	4	The feedback I receive helps me continue working on what I need to learn. (Denmark)
Unclear	6	During the current academic year, how often have you: Worked on assessments that informed you how well you are learning? (Ireland)

Note: sums to more than total of items as some items made reference to more than one agent.

Table 4. Key verbs in survey items.

Verb	Frequency	Example
Give	6	The feedback given on my work helps me to improve my ways of learning and studying. (Finland)
Provide	8	Most of my professors: Provide useful feedback on my academic work. (Canada)
Comment	2	To what extent have the lecturers, tutors and demonstrators: commented on your work in ways that help you learn? (Australia)
Get	1	I feel I get enough feedback on what I do on the programme (e.g. individual or collective feedback from teachers, peers or supervisors). (Denmark)
Receive	10	I have received helpful comments on my work. (UK)
Discuss	3	How often did you: Discuss your academic performance with a faculty member? (USA)
Inform	1	During the current academic year, how often have you: Worked on assessments that informed you how well you are learning? (Ireland)

Table 5. Representation of feedback in survey items.

Element	Frequency	Example
Product	27	I receive enough feedback about my learning. (Finland)
Process	11	During the current academic year, how often have you: Worked on assessments that informed you how well you are learning? (Ireland)

Note: sums to more than total of items as some items made reference to more than one subject.

Table 6. Focus of evaluation in survey items.

Element	Frequency	Example
Frequency	15	This far in your studies, how often have you Received feedback from academic staff on your written work before final submission? (Norway)
Timing	3	Feedback on my work has been timely. (UK)
Quality	4	How satisfied are you about: Quality of feedback your teachers provide? (Netherlands)
Value	11	The teaching staff normally gave me helpful feedback on how I was going. (Australia)
Ambiguous	1	The staff put a lot of time into commenting on my work. (Australia)

Note: sums to more than total of items as some items made reference to more than one subject.

Table 7. Implied role of student in survey items.

Subject	Frequency	Example
Passive	28	I have received helpful comments on my work. (UK)
Active	4	How often did you: Discuss your academic performance with a faculty member? (USA)

Note: sums to more than total of items as some items implied elements of both roles.

Table 8. Reframing items to focus on feedback as a process.

Dimension of feedback	Suggested reframing or alternatives
Timing	The timing of feedback activities enabled me to act effectively
Value	I found feedback beneficial in improving my performance
Adequacy	I had sufficient opportunities to engage in feedback activities to inform my learning
Dialogue	There were enough occasions for me to discuss my performance with others
Initiation	I was encouraged to ask for suggestions to help me improve
Actionable	I could act on feedback comments in subsequent tasks
Appreciating standards	Engaging in feedback activities helped me to understand the standards expected
Motivation	I found engaging in feedback opportunities to be motivating

Van der Kleij, F. M., L. E. Adie, and J. J. Cumming. 2019. “A Meta-Review of the Student Role in Feedback.” International Journal of Educational Research 98: 303–23. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijer.2019.09.005.

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