The Power of Student Feedback: How to Collect Student Feedback at the End of the Year

By: Matt Rhoads, Ed.D

Dr. Matt Rhoads is a Tech and Instructional Leader and Innovator with hands in Adult Ed, K-12, and Higher Education. He is the author of several books and is the host of Navigating Education – The Podcast.

As the year comes to an end, it is a time for your students reflect on their learning that took place over the course of the school year. Additionally, during this time teachers, regardless of what grade level they teach, should ask some form feedback regarding their teaching from their students. Along with performance evaluations, student assessment scores, and personal reflection, student feedback can be another powerful variable teachers can consider as they seek to improve their practice.

Since I teach at the secondary level, the easiest way the collect this important feedback data, I utilize a Google Forms survey to collect this data. I personally ask students to give me a letter grade and then provide rationale for the grade they gave me. I provide two questions for students to do this. This includes whether they understood what we were doing in class, were the skills relevant and applicable to their lives, was I organized, was I able to motivate them, and did I communicate with students on a consistent basis. Following these questions, I ask students directly: “Please explain HOW Dr. Rhoads can improve as a teacher.” In this instance, they have the floor to provide me with their direct feedback and opinion on how I can improve as a teacher.

Then, after asking students to provide open-ended responses for direct feedback. I provide multiple questions that are either yes or no relating to communication and whether the student felt like they improved as a student over the course of the school year in my classroom. To round out this section of the survey, I gave students a Likert Scale question relating to how engaging my class was throughout the school year.

For the last portion of the survey, I asked my students to give me feedback regarding whether they preferred in-person learning or Distance Learning. This is something new that I have added from years past since this school year has been unique and challenging.

Google Forms is a great way to collect feedback from your students if you have multiple questions to ask them or to provide feedback over a long period of time. For more instant feedback, I have also used Pear Deck for my secondary students and for my university students for feedback during my university lectures. Ultimately, I believe Pear Deck can be used for any age group of students to solicit quick and instant feedback after a lesson from students. Pear Deck can even for younger students who are in primary school. Arguably, Google Forms can be used for upper elementary as well.

Ultimately, through exercises like this, its another avenue teachers can take to receive feedback to help develop their practice as an educator; especially right before summer. I look forward to seeing the results in the next day or so. In a few days, I plan on writing a post that is reflective based on the feedback I have received from my students in addition to what I learned this school year. Once the feedback has been evaluated and self-reflection takes place, it will be time to narrow in on how to improve as a teacher for a very unique and challenging opportunity that presents us all for the upcoming 2020-2021 school year.

Feel free to comment on this post or Twitter on how you ask for feedback from your students and how you use their feedback to improve as an educator.