Abstract

One of the most significant changes in the landscape of education over recent years is the democratisation of the teaching and learning process. Once the preserve of educational administrators in universities and schools, this has filtered down to classrooms where teachers and students participate in shaping the learning environment. Thousands of studies have been conducted in universities across the world associated with the statistical validity and efficacy of student evaluations of teaching and learning via University-Student Evaluation of Teaching (U-SETs), but there has been a paucity of attention and research focussed at the school level. This study developed a new instrument, the Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT), which incorporates five scales relevant for the secondary school setting—Learning, Knowledge, Participation, Management, and Assessment. The instrument was administered to a sample cohort of 1,741 students in 156 classes in Years 7, 8, and 10 to provide accurate and immediate feedback to teachers. Factor analysis of the instrument demonstrated support for the a priori five-factor structure, and Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient was used with each scale reporting good reliability. Thus, the instrument holds statistical validity and coherence. SELT data revealed that there were significant differences in classroom experiences, both within the same subject and across different subjects, and that discussions between teachers and Heads of Faculty hold the potential to improve learning environments through measured intervention. This study has wide applicability for secondary schools based upon scales and items that are believed to have relevance in every learning context.