Talk Resource Tool: Instructional Feedback Survey
Instructional feedback is the information, solicited or not, you get from students, parents, colleagues, and administrators about your teaching. It can be informal (e.g. emails, unplanned conversations) or formal (e.g. surveys, observation protocols) in nature. The American Institute for Research has an interesting infographic on the Who and How of Instructional Feedback that provides background information on Instructional Feedback in the United States and abroad.
Below, we provide resources on student surveys that can improve instructional feedback in your science classroom to increase equitable learning opportunities.
Exit Tickets or Surveys of Students
Give students exit tickets or surveys early in the year to gain information on learning resources students bring or need that can influence grouping and other supports. Questions could include:
- How comfortable do you feel speaking in English?
- How comfortable do you feel reading in English?
- How comfortable do you feel writing in English?
- Do you speak languages other than English? List fluency in each.
- Do you have access to the internet and a computer at home?
- How would you rate your math abilities? (break into specifics, e.g. graphing, algebra, geometry, as relevant for your subject)
Give students exit tickets or surveys early in the year to explore their past science learning experiences. Questions could include:
- Describe one positive experience you had in your previous science course.
- Describe one negative experience you had in your previous science course.
- How would you describe your level of involvement in your previous science course classroom activities and labs?
- What role did you find yourself taking most often in your previous science course?
- What has excited or bored you about science in the past?
Give students exit tickets or surveys early in the year and then at frequent intervals to understand how students are experiencing your learning environment. Questions could include:
- Are there locations in class that make you feel more or less comfortable to be seated? Explain your answer.
- What makes learning easy or difficult in this class? Explain with examples.
- What might help you learn better?
- What role do you want to take most often in the science class?
- How confident do you feel in this science classroom? Please explain.
- Please add any other information you would like to share with your teacher to make this a better class or that will help you learn more.
Give exit tickets or surveys to students to explore their perceptions and/or knowledge about science. Questions could include:
- How important do you think understanding science is for your life? Please explain your answer.
- How interested are you in science?
- When you imagine a scientist, what first three words would you use to describe the person that comes to mind?
- Can you name a scientist with which you would identify?
- Can you name a scientific contribution made by a scientist with which you identify?
- How specifically do you identify with the scientist and/or the contribution?
- Is there an area or topic in science that fascinates you?
Focus Groups
Conduct focus groups using protocols such as First Ask, Then Listen (Whatkidscando.org)
Observations and Reflection
Work with your colleagues and administrators to develop science specific observation tools that also take into account equitable practices (e.g. see resources on the Instructional Leadership for Science Practices resources).
Explore teacher education pedagogies for working with colleagues to explore new and refine existing classroom practices (e.g. Teacher Education by Design - Teacher Pedagogy resources)