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How Does Students’ Negative Feedback Affect University Teachers?

Author

Listed:
  • Julia Mendzheritskaya

    (Goethe University Frankfurt)

  • Nicola A. Maier

    (Goethe University Frankfurt)

  • Miriam Hansen

    (Goethe University Frankfurt)

Abstract

The relevance of student evaluation of teaching (SET) for both development of individual teaching as well as for institutional quality management in higher education (HE) contexts has been investigated in numerous studies. However, how educators incorporate students’ feedback into their teaching, especially in the case of negative evaluations, depends on how educators perceive and deal with students’ feedback. To address this issue, we conducted an experimental vignette study to document how university teachers (N = 107) respond to negative SET at cognitive, emotional, and behavioral levels. Further, we varied the focus (student- vs. teacher-oriented) and the content (learning outcomes, interest in course, and learning activities) of feedback messages in the vignettes. Our results show that students’ negative feedback, especially concerning learning outcomes, evoked predominantly negative emotions of sadness or anxiety in HE teachers. Further, participants perceived the students’ negative feedback as moderately unstable and as to some extent limited within their control. Student-oriented negative comments regarding students’ interest in course or students’ engagement in learning activities were interpreted as more trustworthy and valid than negative feedback on teacher-focused characteristics related to the educators’ instructional competences. On average the participants indicated higher approach tendencies than avoidance tendencies after receiving students’ negative feedback. Finally, how HE teachers perceived and dealt with negative SET was linked to teachers’ perceived value of students’ feedback. Our findings underline the importance of incorporating more student-focused elements into SET and introducing activities that assist HE teachers in handling negative feedback within the SET process.

Suggested Citation

  • Julia Mendzheritskaya & Nicola A. Maier & Miriam Hansen, 2025. "How Does Students’ Negative Feedback Affect University Teachers?," Research in Higher Education, Springer;Association for Institutional Research, vol. 66(1), pages 1-23, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:reihed:v:66:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1007_s11162-024-09826-2
    DOI: 10.1007/s11162-024-09826-2
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Eyal Eckhaus & Nitza Davidovitch, 2019. "How do Academic Faculty Members Perceive the Effect of Teaching Surveys Completed by Students on Appointment and Promotion Processes at Academic Institutions? A Case Study," International Journal of Higher Education, Sciedu Press, vol. 8(1), pages 171-171, February.
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