A Bayesian IRT-model approach was used to investigate the validity and reliability of student perceptions of teaching quality. Furthermore, the student perceptions were compared with ratings of teaching quality by external observers. Grade 4 students (n = 675) filled out a questionnaire that was used to measure their opinions about the lessons of their teachers. Three lessons of 39 teachers were recorded and rated by 4 raters. The analyses showed that student perception and lesson observation scales fit best in an 11-dimensional model, which was an indication of construct validity and discriminant validity. Student perception scales were reliable, although not all items contributed to the scales to the same extent. Student ratings and lesson observations scores generally correlated moderately (ranging from r = .18 to r = .50). Higher correlations were found for scales with a similar content; however, no clear pattern was apparent. Suggestions for future research are presented.

In this study, it was investigated if student feedback promoted teachers’ insight into where they could improve their lessons and their reflection on their lessons. It was also studied in what ways teachers worked on improvement, based on the student feedback, and whether it affected the quality of their teaching. Student perceptions of teaching quality were measured by means of a smartphone application for providing teachers with feedback on their lesson. Teachers in this study (N = 60) were randomly assigned to the control or experimental group. The smartphone application was used several times by teachers to obtain student feedback. The teachers reported that they gained insight into where they could improve their lessons. They reported improvement-oriented actions in response to the student feedback. According to students, teachers first slightly improved their teaching quality. However, teachers did not seem to reflect significantly more on their lessons and their improvement did not sustain. Explanations for the findings are discussed and suggestions for future research are presented.

This meta-analysis summarizes the available evidence on the effectiveness of student feedback interventions in primary and secondary schools on different aspects of teaching quality. It aims to examine indications of success conditions for an effective use of student feedback in practice. The analysis included 23 studies with 314 effect sizes. We estimated an overall weighted mean effect size of d = 0.27 based on a three-level random-effects model. For effectiveness with respect to various dimensions of teaching quality, only minor and mostly nonsignificant differences were found. Further moderator analyses showed larger effect sizes for studies in which teachers received support for interpreting student feedback and implementing changes in their teaching. Moreover, studies in which teachers were encouraged to discuss the feedback with their students have larger effect sizes than studies in which teachers were not encouraged to do so. Item and answering scale characteristics also showed significant effects on the effectiveness of student feedback. Implications for further research and the use of student feedback in schools are discussed.

Modern digital technologies enable the efficient collection and processing of student perceptions of teaching quality. However, students’ ratings could be confounded by student, teacher, and classroom characteristics. We investigated students’ ratings of 26 teachers who used the digital tool Impact! in their mathematics lessons with 14- and 15-year-old students (n = 717). A Bayesian item response theory (IRT)-model approach was used to model potential associations. High-performing students on average rated their teacher higher than low- and middle-performing students. More likeable and more experienced teachers received higher ratings from their students, and the higher the class’s average math grade, the higher the students rated their teachers. Other variables investigated in this study (e.g., student and teacher gender, class size) were not associated with student perceptions of teaching quality. Both related and unrelated factors are discussed. Some implications of the findings for practice, limitations of the study, and suggestions for further research are presented.

This chapter discusses student perceptions in terms of three psychometric perspectives that dominate contemporary research on teaching quality, namely, Classical Test Theory (CTT), Item Response Theory (IRT) and Generalizability Theory (GT). These perspectives function as being exemplars for the connection between psychometric theories and the different perspectives on “what a perception is” as well as on how and for what purposes student perceptions should be used. The main message of the chapter is that the choice of a psychometric theory is not merely a technical matter, but also has implications for how the nature of perceptions is conceptualized. After presenting and linking each psychometric theory, their strengths and weaknesses in the context of student perceptions of teaching quality and issues on practical implementations are discussed.

Student perceptions of teaching are promising for measuring the quality of teaching in primary and secondary education. However, generating valid and reliable measurements when using a student perception questionnaire (SPQ) is not self-evident. Many authors have pointed to issues that need to be taken into account when developing, selecting, and using an SPQ in order to generate valid and reliable scores. In this study, 22 SPQs that met the inclusion criteria used in the literature search were systematically evaluated by two reviewers. The reviewers were most positive about the theoretical basis of the SPQs and about the quality of the SPQ materials. According to their evaluation, most SPQs also had acceptable reliability and construct validity. However, norm information about the quality rating measures was often lacking and few sampling specifications were provided. Information about the features of the SPQs, if available, was also often not presented in an accessible way by the instrument developers (e.g., in a user manual), making it difficult for potential SPQ users to obtain an overview of the qualities of available SPQs in order to decide which SPQs best fit their own context and intended use. It is suggested to create an international database of SPQs and to develop a standardized evaluation framework to evaluate the SPQ qualities in order to provide potential users with the information they need to make a well-informed choice of an SPQ.