Students can identify quality teachers, but can they distinguish between dimensions of quality teaching? A comparative analysis of the structure behind the Tripod Survey

Student perception surveys are prominent and pervasive tools for teacher appraisal and feedback across international contexts, buoyed by the strong relationship between higher student ratings of teachers and additional measures of teacher effectiveness. Yet, there is disagreement and conflicting evidence regarding the underlying structure of student perception survey instruments, including whether students distinguish multiple dimensions of teaching or form more general impressions (or unidimensional conceptions) of teaching. This study examined the structure of the Tripod student survey in Australian schools using a competing model analysis of different survey structures and examination of discriminant validity to identify the best model fit. Findings challenge the purported Tripod model structure and raise larger questions regarding elements of teaching that students distinguish via student perception surveys. Implications for the use of and continued research on student perception surveys, including those originating in other countries, are discussed.