1. Introduction

In recent years, student feedback has got significant attention at universities worldwide. Universities are using student feedback to assess their performance as part of an effort to improve their administrative practices, teaching quality and organisation strategies. [1] This report is going to compare the University of Sussex and the University of Brighton in terms of business and management courses, based on UNISTATS.

According to statistic data, it could be found that there is a huge imparity between opportunities to provide feedback and specific on how feedback has been used among the two universities. This along with reasons such as the faculty teaching quality, curriculum encouragement policy and support services.

This research is going to identify why this discrepancy exists. Trying to find out the barriers to implement student feedback, generating possible solutions how universities could be improved when feedback is not feasible and how could communication between both parties could be improved when feedback is not implemented.

Table 1: The survey results of student satisfaction at the University of Sussex and the University of Brighton. (Appendix 1)

The finding results of this research could give all the universities that have similar issue insights into treating and using feedback more effectively. Besides, the research could give information to lecture and course convenors on improving their instructional practices and as part of performance appraisal[2] . It also provides the opportunity for students to know whether their needs are fully met and help them choose university. Furthermore, government education board who cares student satisfaction is able to guide universities leaders engage in the gathering of student feedback for meaningful and deep level change through this report. The research could be used as a platform for universities to reform the feedback process in the future.

2. Literature review and theory

As Richardson defined that, student feedback is a formal process to gather information from students about their opinions of teaching quality and the effectiveness of educational program. Collecting and responding to feedback is essential for enhancing student experience.[3] Armann and Stockham also stated that except for improving rapport between teachers and students, feedback could provide valuable insights about assessment and teaching process. [4] Hence, for universities to be successful should find what students consider high important and incorporate such feedback into their priorities. [5]

At the same time, as Santhanam, Lynch and Jones argued that, more and more universities are beginning to use student voice as a marketing tool to attract prospective students and retaining current students. [6] To some extent, this has prompted increasing requirement in ensuring students are informed of the outcome of their feedback.[7] Watson concluded that students reluctant to complete surveys when they think their feedback have little impact on the broader university.[8] Consequently, universities need to increase student engagement in the survey process, improving institutional transparency and implementing student feedback.

Despite the practice of getting student feedback is well established in higher education level, further investigation of using student feedback systematically and how to respond to this information is required. Generally, as Beattie mentioned that, the partnership between youth and adult in school transformation are unchartered territory. [9]Thus, further research to identify whether the collecting feedback leads to improvement and how to support university in responding to feedback is required. [10] There is a gap in knowledge is few studies have focused on the obstacle to implementing student feedback.

Qualitative data could be highly reliable if the researcher skilled in the field of study. [11] While as Hattie stated that student consider qualitative comments include more information than quantitative rankings. [12] Based on extensive psychometric studies, close-ended student surveys may not include issues that really important for students, as they may reflect the teacher- central framework that therefore contributes to overall student satisfaction.

The above literatures indicate the importance of collecting student feedback and responding to them. For this study, we would use qualitative research to address the problem and generate solutions to improve when feedback is not feasible.

3. Qualitative methodology

Qualitative research with a constructivist approach is statistics driven and it is objective about the findings of the research. The qualitative data analysed to address the issue would be collected by the format of interview and focus group. The sample population was drawn from current and former students and staffs from the two universities.

The most efficient way to gathering student feedback for the purpose of leveraging on-going reflection in a secondary setting was clarified as through using questionnaires. [13] We are going to contact the convenor of business and management in two universities, with the help of them letting the student complete feedback questionnaires. Based on the results of these questionnaires, random sampling would be used to recruit students with size of 100 ranged from year one to year three. For current students, the context of interview would be face to face, whereas phone interview would be adopted for former students. Results would generate by using a semi-structured technique, since this technique seems to provide more useful data and allow thematic analysis of the data. [14]

For the interview, we would prepare the general structure by deciding in advance the main questions. Questions would relate to their perception of what aspects of the university has supposedly been improved. More detailed open-ended questions would ask when they emerged during the interview.

Focus group would then be formed with 20 staff and 50 students, some were from the interviews and some who were not interviewed. Students are mainly selected from head of department and course representatives. Staff also participate in a focus group to have the opportunity to expand further on their responses. Additionally, there are certain discrepancies we anticipate may lead to the problem, for instance, the senior leader of university may believe the feedback has been implemented, while the change may dilute the further down the chain and most students feel the difference hardly. Or the feedback has to put off, as it against the general teaching policy for the time being. To address issue like these, we consider it would be a great proposal to put students and staff together to the focus group, giving them chance to communicate with it. Therefore, there will be three focus groups, one is students, one is staff and one is combined with students and staff.

We would use preliminary information from interviews and questionnaires to revise subsequent questions and address essential concepts whilst using the critical incident technique to determine which problem is the most relevant to the issue.

The whole process would about 2 hours in length, both the interviews and the focus groups would be recorded with written consent for each interviewee and participant of the focus group required before commencing and transcribed after the completed of each. And the communication process will assist by at least one member from us to lead them debate over the gap between feedback, what students consider should be implement and what has actually been acted on.

The process of whole research might be costly in terms of tape recorders and printing fee requires. And we would prepare drinks for participants. We estimate the total cost will around 150£. We tend to get funding from the business school of Sussex.

By combining statements of participants with open-ended questions, the research developed for this study provide students with the opportunity to create and elaborate an accurate snapshot of their feedback experience, whilst allow us to analyse whole group responses.

4. Ethical review

Before the research is conducted, it is important to address ethical consideration aspect of the research in an effective manner. It is important to adhere ethical norms, since it promotes the aims of research and minimise error, promoting value which is essential to collaborative work and ensuring participants could be accountable for the results.

Figure 1: Participant Information Sheet Template (Appendix 2)

5. Conclusion

In conclusion, according to literature, using qualitative research method to identify why there is the discrepancy between opportunities for feedback and clarity on how feedback is implemented could contribute to develop collaboration and establishing a positive learning culture within the university. [15] With a deep level of analysing the collected feedback, the university could plan appropriate strategies to address the problems and generate solutions when feedback is not feasible and improving communication between both parties when feedback is not implemented.

Qualitative research method helps us enhance comprehension in the process. It helps collect in-depth perceptions from the participants feedback and that seeks to interpret meaning from these responses that help us to understand the problem more clearly. Moreover, open-ended and semi-structured questions leave the room for generating variety of responses and discussion, compared to a specific question with a targeted question where the answer is narrow. The participants are flexible to give their perspectives and insights in this most convenient way.[16] Besides, the information could be highly reliable through opportunity provided for students and staff to communicate in the focus group.

However, our qualitative research method might have certain limitations. The interview might be time consuming during analysis. [17] Furthermore, interviewee may easily be affected by each other, since they will hear opinions of others. Additionally, we anticipate authority bias may arise in the process, students afraid to complain in front of the staff or easily be influenced by their opinion. Thus, we decide to collect student feedback before the combined session then use these topics to start communication with staff for each university. Above all, since our study is limited to two specific universities, the result cannot be generalised. Other universities that cares about this problem needs to combine their own circumstance and their unique context to address the problem.