What Can Student Perception Surveys Tell Us About Teaching? Empirically Testing the Underlying Structure of the Tripod Student Perception Survey

Abstract

We conducted a theory-based analysis of the underlying structure of the Tripod student perception survey instrument using the Measures of Effective Teaching (MET) database ( N = 1,049 middle school math class sections; N = 25,423 students). Multilevel item factor analyses suggested that an alternative bifactor structure best fit the Tripod items, and preliminary evidence suggests that both the general responsivity and the classroom management–specific dimensions are positively associated with teacher value-added scores. In our discussion, we consider the distinct characterizing features of adolescents as raters of teaching, the implications for teacher professional learning opportunities, and key areas for future research.