The Quality of Student Perception Questionnaires: A Systematic Review

Abstract

AbstractStudent 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.