Teacher Surveys
Here’s how it works
Choose from a range of survey questions, pick your method of distribution, and monitor your results in real-time. It's that straightforward.
Create your questions
Easily build great looking surveys, forms and questionnaires for every need.
Share your survey
Collect feedback through weblinks, embeds, email, offline surveys and more.
Analyze your results
Focus in on essential insights with our comprehensive data analysis tools.
What can you measure with a teacher survey?
Teacher surveys are like a window, showing the everyday life within our classrooms, and mirroring the insights of those shaping minds every day. Surveys provide teachers with a chance to voice their thoughts, informing teaching strategies and enhancing student engagement.
Done well, they should help shape change across the entire school landscape. But what to look at?
Below we've added a list of subjects to consider. We hope these 9 offer some inspiration for surveys within your own school, and help inspire meaningful change for both teachers and the individuals they teach.
Parent survey templates
Explore our diverse collection of parent survey templates to gather valuable insights for your school, club or activity. From parent satisfaction to feedback on school culture, we've got you covered with a range of customizable template questionnaires.
Quick guide to running teacher surveys
Collecting constructive feedback from teachers is a pivotal component of any school's improvement strategy, offering insights into both their own experiences and those of the pupils they teach, the staff they work with, and the parents they engage with.
Teachers are on the frontline, after all; they have unparalleled insights into what's working and what needs improving. Running surveys can be an invaluable tool in harnessing these insights systematically. This guide aims to shed light on why and how to use school surveys for gathering feedback from teachers.
Why use surveys for teacher feedback?
Speed and efficiency
Gathering feedback by way of online surveys provides a distinct advantage in terms of speed. It's possible to distribute a survey to the entire teaching staff in just a matter of minutes. This immediacy allows you to capture feedback while experiences and impressions are still fresh. Moreover, modern survey platforms like SmartSurvey offer real-time analysis, enabling you to act on the feedback swiftly.
Anonymity
Let's face it; not everyone feels comfortable voicing their thoughts in an open forum. Surveys can be set up to offer respondents anonymity, thereby encouraging frank and candid feedback. Teachers are more likely to share genuine concerns and observations when they know their identity won't be disclosed.
Versatility
When you opt for surveys, you're not confined to a single format or set of questions. Whether it's multiple-choice questions for quick answers or open-ended questions for detailed insights, the flexibility is there. Customizing your survey for the specific type of feedback you're after is straightforward.
Creating your teacher feedback survey
Define your objectives
Before you start creating your survey, pause to outline what you want to accomplish. Is the survey meant to gage teacher satisfaction, get a read on the effectiveness of new educational tools, or perhaps scrutinize the latest curriculum changes? Having a clear set of objectives will guide the rest of your survey development process.
Choose the right questions
When formulating your questions, clarity and neutrality are paramount. While multiple-choice and scale questions can yield quantifiable data, open-ended questions give teachers the space to express themselves more fully. Take care to avoid loaded or leading questions that might skew the data.
Design and layout
A survey that is easy on the eyes and simple to navigate is far more likely to be completed. Even a supremely well-crafted set of questions won't yield much if the survey feels like a chore to take. Thankfully, online survey tools offer a range of design options, making it straightforward to put together a professional-looking survey.
Distributing the survey
Choose the appropriate channel
How you distribute your survey can significantly impact its success. While email is the most commonly used medium, platforms like the school's internal portal or even offline might sometimes be more effective. Assess the pros and cons of each channel in light of your particular objectives.
Timing matters
The timing of your survey is another crucial element. Opt for periods when teachers are less swamped. Ongoing feedback is valuable, but be mindful of survey fatigue. Bombarding teachers with too many surveys can dilute the quality of the feedback you receive.
Analyzing and interpreting the results
Data collection
Once the survey is published, you'll need a reliable method for collecting the responses. Modern survey platforms like SmartSurvey offer integrated solutions, simplifying this aspect of the process.
Data analysis
Sift through the data carefully. While initial impressions can be telling, the real gold often lies in the nuances and patterns that emerge upon closer inspection. Whether you're dealing with quantifiable metrics or qualitative insights, aim to identify recurring themes or outlier opinions that deserve further scrutiny.
Reporting and feedback loop
Feedback that isn't acted upon is as good as no feedback at all. Make it a point to share the findings with stakeholders. Develop an action plan based on the feedback and share this information with teaching staff to demonstrate that their input truly matters.
Legal and ethical considerations
Data protection
Given the sensitive nature of feedback, complying with data protection laws such as GDPR is non-negotiable. Make sure your survey platform is compliant, and store any collected data securely.
Informed consent
Before teachers participate in your survey, they must be adequately informed about its purpose and how their data will be used. Consent is not just a legal requirement; it's an ethical one.
Wrapping up
Surveys can be an incredibly potent tool for collecting feedback from teachers. Done correctly, they offer a quick, anonymous, and versatile method for gathering valuable insights. From formulating your objectives to distributing the survey and analyzing the results, each step in the process serves to refine and improve practices in education.
Example teacher survey questions
When crafting a survey for teachers, it's useful to mix question types to capture the depth and breadth of their experiences. Multiple choice questions offer a set of predefined answers, giving us clear-cut data and easy analysis. Likert scale questions measure the intensity of feelings on a scale, typically from 'strongly agree' to 'strongly disagree', and are great for gaging attitudes. Open questions allow free text responses, giving teachers the freedom to express thoughts in their own words, often yielding richer, more nuanced insights.
Here are 10 example survey questions incorporating these different types:
Multiple choice
Which age group do you primarily teach?
- Primary
- Secondary
- Sixth Form/College
- Adult Education
How often do you integrate technology into your lessons?
- Every lesson
- Most lessons
- Some lessons
- Rarely
- Never
How do you typically communicate with parents?
- Phone calls
- In-person meetings
- Online platforms
- I do not communicate directly with parents
Likert scale
To what extent do you feel the current curriculum meets the needs of your students?
- Strongly agree
- Agree
- Neither agree nor disagree
- Disagree
- Strongly disagree
How supported do you feel by the school's administration?
- Very supported
- Moderately supported
- Neutral
- Moderately unsupported
- Very unsupported
How adequate are the resources (books, materials, technology) provided to you for teaching?
- Extremely adequate
- Adequate
- Neither adequate nor inadequate
- Inadequate
- Extremely inadequate
Open questions
What strategies do you find most effective for engaging students with diverse learning needs?
In what areas would you like to receive more professional development?
Can you describe a recent success story from your teaching experience?
Please share any concerns you have about classroom management and how you've been addressing them.