Student Feedback on Teaching in Schools: Current State of Research and Future Perspectives

Abstract

The aim of this volume was to give a comprehensive overview of the current state of the research on student perceptions of and student feedback on teaching. This chapter provides a resume of the important theoretical considerations and empirical evidence the authors contributed to this volume. First, evidence concerning the validity of student perceptions of teaching quality is discussed, highlighting the quality of the questionnaires used and accompanying materials provided by their authors. In the next step, empirical findings are summarized on student and teacher characteristics that can influence important processes within the feedback cycle. Subsequently, it is emphasized that the effectiveness of student feedback on teaching is significantly related to the nature of the individual school’s feedback culture. Furthermore, it is argued that the efficacy of student feedback depends on whether teachers are provided with a high level of support, when making use of the feedback information to improve their teaching practices. As the literature review impressively documents, teachers, teaching, and ultimately students can benefit substantially from student feedback on teaching in schools.