How to use student feedback to improve teaching

In this guide

• The importance of feedback
• Encouraging student feedback
  • 1. Create a safe environment
  • 2. Be transparent
  • 3. Provide multiple channels
  • 4. Regularly request feedback
• Using student feedback surveys
  • 1. Design effective surveys
  • 2. Administer surveys thoughtfully
  • 3. Analyze results carefully
  • 4. Act on feedback
• Student/teacher feedback examples
  • 1. Thumbs up/thumbs down
  • 2. Stop/start/continue
  • 3. Yelp review
  • 4. Letter to a future student
  • 5. Unit reflection
  • 6. One-on-ones
• In summary

The importance of feedback

Feedback tells us whether or not we’re moving closer to accomplishing a task or achieving a goal. It tells us if errors have occurred, and if so, what to do about them.

Joe Natoli

As teachers, our job is to guide students through the learning process using clear and relevant feedback. Equally as important perhaps, is to also allow students to provide us with feedback so we can reflect on our ability and effectiveness in helping students succeed.

As a teacher in a public school district, I am actually quite amazed by how little feedback or advice I have received about my craft from mentors and administrators after my first couple of years in the classroom. All of us need feedback in order to develop and students are a great source of information because they are our exact target customer.

On top of our own professional development, soliciting student feedback can have enormous positive effects for the classroom environment. In 5 Reasons You Should Seek Your OWN Student Feedback, Jennifer Gonzalez discusses how this practice can increase student engagement, build relationships, and proactively avoid academic and behavior issues.

Sometimes good feedback will happen naturally, but as professionals committed to lifelong learning we should be actively seeking it out on a regular basis.

Encouraging student feedback

Encouraging students to provide feedback can be challenging, but it is crucial for continuous improvement. In my experience, it takes some time for most students to feel comfortable sharing deep and meaningful feedback with me. 

Usually, they have never been asked for their feedback in a class setting before. As a result, they might worry about offending me and facing consequences as a result. Others simply have not yet developed the skills to articulate their thoughts and suggestions when it comes to their own learning experience. 

To create a culture of open communication, teachers can adopt several strategies:

1) Create a safe environment

Ensure that students feel comfortable sharing their thoughts without fear of judgment or repercussions. Emphasize that their feedback is valued and essential for improving the learning experience. 

It is always great when that one student lobs a really blunt comment your way that makes everyone else in the room gasp. Receiving that information and showing your appreciation to the student lets everyone else know that you are sincerely interested in hearing the truth.

Giving and Receiving Feedback is a very useful video for helping students understand the importance of feedback for people in any role. After watching this, students should be able to appreciate how feedback plays a critical role in our growth process.

2) Be transparent

Explain the purpose of feedback and how it will be used to enhance teaching practices. This transparency can motivate students to participate actively in the feedback process because they will begin to understand the impact their voice can have rather than cynically viewing it as an exercise in futility.

I love to start the year with a couple examples of how student feedback from previous years has been integrated to make their time in the class better than the year before. Sometimes that can be a specific video we watch or a project that was changed. Either way, I make it clear that the decision was directly informed by hearing students just like them share their thoughts.

Also, point out times where suggestions or ideas will not work for what you are trying to accomplish. Students might not like to hear it but explaining your rationale will at least preserve their willingness to continue to contribute.

3) Provide multiple channels

Offer various ways for students to give feedback, such as anonymous surveys, suggestion boxes, or one-on-one discussions. This flexibility accommodates different comfort levels and preferences. 

Different students prefer different avenues to share their feelings. Some students will share almost nothing with you verbally but will write a novel if you give them the opportunity. Plus, the variety keeps the process from becoming stale and feeling redundant.

4) Regularly request feedback

Make feedback a routine part of the learning process rather than a one-time event. Regular check-ins can help identify issues early and show students that their input is consistently valued. 

Students may be unfamiliar with giving their teachers feedback and it might make them quite uncomfortable. Show them Feedback: Three Styles of Feedback so they can use the examples to guide them as they practice giving feedback to you and their classmates during the year.

If you only ask for their thoughts after major projects or at the grading periods you will miss out on the opportunity to include students as co-designers in their learning journey. Remind them that it is their education so they need to work on developing their voice. Be careful not to overdo it though because students will start to just go through the motions to appease you.

Remember, it is a process and will take time before all students are willing to open up and help you become an even more effective educator. You will really know you are successful when students offer up feedback even without you soliciting it. That is when you know you created an environment where students trust you and believe you value their ideas.

Using student feedback surveys

Student feedback surveys are a powerful tool for gathering detailed and structured input. They can easily be reused for a large number of students and from year to year. They are also a great way to measure differences among classes during the same school year or from previous years.

Here are a few ideas to keep in mind when using surveys to ensure that you are getting valuable information to inform your decisions going forward:

1) Design effective surveys

Create surveys with clear, concise questions that target specific aspects of your teaching and their learning. For more information on writing effective surveys, see this guide from the Pew Research Center. 

Try to keep surveys short and use wording without bias and is easy to understand. Technical or academic language could create a barrier for students to provide accurate feedback.

2) Administer surveys thoughtfully

Choose appropriate times to administer surveys, so that what you are measuring is fresh in their mind. Brief, regular surveys can yield better results than summative ones given at the end of semesters.

Ensure the process is easy and accessible, whether conducted online or on paper. Give students time in class to complete them and make sure it is easy to find. Ungraded surveys are not something students will spend a lot of time searching for.

3) Analyze results carefully

Review survey results to identify trends, strengths, and areas for improvement. Look for patterns in the data that can inform teaching strategies and classroom practices. 

Show students the results of surveys so they have access to the same information you have when making decisions. Ideally, students will see trends or patterns you overlooked and might offer valuable suggestions.

4) Act on feedback

Determine specific actions to take based on the results of the survey. Demonstrating that their feedback leads to tangible improvements can increase student buy-in and participation in future surveys.

Be aware that when you use surveys with specific, closed-ended questions you are limiting your results to what you ask about. That does not mean you should avoid surveys but realize there may be a wealth of other information you are not hearing being you did not specifically ask about it.

That is why surveys should be one of the methods you use to gather feedback and not your only one. Using variety will give you better results and keep the experience engaging for the students.

Student/teacher feedback examples

Feedback is absolutely essential to growth, progress and deep understanding. Unfortunately, that does not mean we always love to provide feedback. Think about how many pop up website surveys you have closed after making a purchase or customer service surveys you have hung up on after being on the phone for over an hour trying to get help. 

People are busy and sometimes feedback seems like another task added to our plate while we are trying to get things done. Students are no different. They all want a better learning experience but they are too overwhelmed by that next concrete project or test to allocate time and energy for an abstract process for improvement.

I have found that using a variety of methods to get regular and meaningful feedback as well as dedicating time in class for student feedback is critical for increasing student involvement. Using class time for feedback sends a clear message about how valuable this is to you and how much their voice matters. 

Survey fatigue is real so hammering students with endless questions and not demonstrating actionable change based off of the results ends up wasting everyone’s time. Instead, use fun and creative ways for students to share their opinions. Then, make sure you communicate what changes are being made as soon as you have time to synthesize the results.

1) Thumbs up/thumbs down

This is probably the quickest and easiest method I use to gather full class feedback. At various points I will ask all students to put a hand in the air with either a thumbs up or thumbs down to give me a quick ‘Netflix style’ rating.

This can be used after completing an assignment, reading an article, watching a video, listening to directions or any other activity when you want to check the pulse of the class. I usually do not worry about getting an exact count and instead look for any major trends in class feelings.

As the year goes on, I try to ask for volunteers or call on a couple students to share the reasoning behind their ‘thumb direction.’ No matter what, I always make sure to include a conclusion statement about how I will use that feedback going forward. 

After seeing a flood of thumbs down following an online discussion board I set up for students to be able to answer class questions for their peers I let them know I was shutting it down and would work on a better way to clarify class requirements. Students were not comfortable asking questions in that format and were not confident in the responses they were getting so a quick 2-minute discussion made it clear that it was time to change course.

2) Stop/start/continue

A few years ago as I was developing the business and design program at my school, I came across an activity that successful businesses use to make sure they are growing and focusing on the right things. This can be completed in a variety of ways but I prefer using big whiteboards so that everyone in the room can see everyone’s ideas.

I write three headings around the room and ask students to add at least one idea to each list:

• Stop: What is one thing that we do in this class that you think we should not do again moving forward?
• Start: What ideas or suggestions do you have for something we can include in this learning experience to make it better?
• Continue: What is working well so far? What do you like and want us to keep doing?

I give the students about 10 minutes to work their way around the room and contribute their thoughts as well as add on to ones that other people wrote. Before we discuss them as a class I circle ones that I do not understand and underline ones that are not feasible.

I then start the discussion by addressing the items that I marked up on the board. Some items are pretty ridiculous so it is easy to explain why we will not discuss those (e.g. “Buy a chinchilla as a class pet”- that is not made up, by the way). Others are serious but still not possible. I had a student write that we needed to stop using social media in a class called “Social Media Design.” We talked about how that is a valid opinion but is not a viable option given the curriculum.

After we clarify some of the confusing ones, we discuss each list and try to come to a consensus around 1-2 items per list that we should prioritize. I have a student type them up and share the doc with me so I can have it for my records.

As a way to empower students, I now include a final step where we assign specific individuals to some of the most important items on the lists. I emphasize that this is a shared experience and I need their help achieving the ideas. Also, I let them know I want these people to hold me accountable so we can ensure these ideas turn into actions. 

This is one of my favorite techniques because I learn lots but more importantly it helps develop a sense of community and shared responsibility. We are looking back while developing strategies for the future.

3) Yelp review

Online reviews and feedback are everywhere so I decided to lean into that trend and create a Yelp Review template that I give to my students at the end of the first semester. I ask them to honestly and thoroughly rate and review their experience so far.

Students are asked to add images from the first semester to their review and can use the simple star rating to give me a quick snapshot of their feelings. There is a very short writing section but most of the time they are designing and having fun so it does not feel like a chore.

The first time I did this almost became the last time. There were a couple reviews that really stung and then a whole bunch of contradictions. I would read one that said I did not provide clear enough instructions and then the next one would say how I wasted too much time going over directions…

After reflecting for a bit, I realized all of these feelings existed whether I knew about them or not so I figured it was better to be aware. Now when I go through them I look for major themes or repeated ideas. That is where I focus my attention. All of our students are different so there is no way we are going to design the perfect experience for everyone. It is hard but important to admit.

A couple years ago, I noticed how many students were frustrated with the impact their first quarter project had on their grade. It was weighted the same as the second quarter but students felt that they were less prepared at the beginning of the year. I use Project Based Learning (PBL) and that can be a shock for a lot of students at first.

I told the students I understood where they were coming from and made a gradebook adjustment so that the 2nd quarter project counted for more than the 1st quarter one. Each year I share this story with students as an example of how I incorporate their feedback into the design of the class.

4) Letter to a future student

I stole this idea from my colleague who teaches next door to me. He has done it for years but I just learned about it recently. At the end of each year, he asks each student to write a short letter to future students about the class and any tips they have to make it a successful year.

Although he does not read the letters and simply distributes them to students at the beginning of a new year, I decided I could twist the concept to gain more feedback that I could use as the teacher. I very clearly inform students I will be reading the letter but that their real audience is a future student.

Students enjoy writing the letters and the new students love the insight from former students, especially if they recognize the name. For me, I get an honest assessment of what students enjoyed the most and where there were struggles so I can adjust my methods.

Again, this activity helps promote a collective voice and a shared commitment to the mission. Plus, starting a year with this activity is a great way to demonstrate how much you value the thoughts of your students.

5) Unit reflection

After we complete a unit, I always spend time in class to reflect on the experience before moving on to new content. I do this so that students understand that I care about their experience and as a way to get some closure on what they just worked on. Too often we rush into the next thing and miss out on some of the value or appreciation for what we committed so much time and energy on.

This strategy is more focused on timing rather than a specific methodology. Sometimes I will hold a very informal class discussion to allow people to express their thoughts. Other times I will create a very structured survey for students to complete. This can also be accomplished by asking students to write a reflective journal about the unit experience.

No matter which method I choose to utilize I try to make sure I always gather information for the following questions:

• What information or skills were you most excited to learn about?
• What part of the past unit is still really confusing or incomplete for you?
• How would you describe this unit of study to a parent or friend that is not in this class?

A keep a running Google doc in each unit folder that I add to each year. After getting student reflections about the unit, I add 3-5 concrete bullet points to the doc for me to revisit the following year before planning the unit. It is a bit humbling when I add the same bullet point the following year but at least I know it is an important one that deserves continued attention.

6) One-on-ones

Logistically, this strategy is really tricky to pull off given the number of students teachers have and the time constraints in place. The depth of information and personal perspectives uncovered doing it though makes it completely worth trying.

I use this technique in my Business Entrepreneurship class when we conduct ‘Performance Reviews’ around the grading periods. I make sure to use open-ended questions and start with getting students to reflect on how they feel they are doing. 

• What are you really proud of during the last 6-8 weeks?
• Where have you gotten stuck or underachieved on something?

Even these personal questions can give you insight into the environment you are creating for them. You will notice that as they share their thoughts you begin to think about mistakes you have made or ways you could adjust your approach.

After they feel comfortable sharing about themselves and see how interested I am in what they have to say I start asking them to tell me what they need from me or the class. I make it clear that part of their Performance Review is to ensure I am putting them in the best situation to grow and be successful.

• What is one thing you need from me to take that next step in your journey?
• What is the biggest thing getting in your way or stopping you from accomplishing what you want?
• What else do you want to be working on or learning about?

I always come away from these conversations with a better relationship with my students and a new energy to make improvements. It is easy to think that struggling students are lazy or disengaged or that successful students have everything figured out. Hearing their stories though adds so many intricacies that provide a more informed perspective to meet individual student needs.

Before you dismiss this idea because you do not think you have enough time, remember that you do not have to talk to every student all at once. Research shows that talking to 5 people about a topic will reveal roughly 80% of the issues. Pick 3-5 students per week and carve out some time. 

Spacing the conversations out will probably improve the experience because you will be getting different feedback at different times of the year. 

In summary

When I talk with new teachers I tell them that if they do not have specific ideas for how to change their class going forward they are ignoring a huge part of the job. Then, I tell them if all of their ideas for change are coming from their own mind then they are probably reducing the chances of success.

It might feel like a burden or just another task we do not have time for but I believe we need to reframe feedback as a way to save our precious time. If we are designing lessons that are not effective but we do not know it, then everyone’s time is being wasted on a regular basis. 

Targeted feedback lets us make informed decisions that will help us get a better return on investment of our time. Who doesn’t like that?

References

1. DiLeonardo, A., Lauricella, T., & Schaninger, B. (2021, May 10). Survey fatigue? Blame the leader, not the question. McKinsey. Retrieved July 10, 2024, from https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/the-organization-blog/survey-fatigue-blame-the-leader-not-the-question
2. Gonzalez, J. (2014, October 23). 5 Reasons You Should Seek Your OWN Student Feedback. Cult of Pedagogy. Retrieved July 9, 2024, from https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/student-feedback/
3. Home Writing Survey Questions. (n.d.). Pew Research Center. Retrieved July 12, 2024, from https://www.pewresearch.org/writing-survey-questions/
4. Natoli, J. (n.d.). Feedback: 5 Principles of Interaction Design To Supercharge Your UI (5 of 5). Give Good UX. Retrieved July 8, 2024, from https://givegoodux.com/feedback-5-principles-interaction-design-supercharge-ui-5-5/
5. Nielsen, J. (1993, January 1). Response Time Limits: Article by Jakob Nielsen. Nielsen Norman Group. Retrieved July 8, 2024, from https://www.nngroup.com/articles/response-times-3-important-limits/
6. Nielsen, J. (2000, March 18). Why You Only Need to Test with 5 Users. Nielsen Norman Group. Retrieved July 12, 2024, from https://www.nngroup.com/articles/why-you-only-need-to-test-with-5-users/