An economic view on the impact of student voice on education
Updated Mar 05, 2026
Rising tuition fees have changed the student-university relationship. When students are treated like consumers, student voice can become an economic signal.
At Student Voice Analytics, we see student involvement in decisions about education as a key driver of engagement, motivation, and academic performance. Capturing the student voice helps institutions improve educational practices and create a more effective and inclusive higher education experience.
A 2021 article by Hemming and Power (Source) explores the role of student voice in higher education through an economic lens. The authors argue that acting on student voice can have financial benefits, and may be a requirement in some contexts. As the costs of attending university rise and institutions adopt a business-model approach, the status of the student within higher education can change. Self-funded students may be viewed as consumers, and expectations can rise accordingly. In that context, universities face pressure to adapt their teaching and assessment processes to meet students' expectations.
In higher education, student voice is often captured through end-of-term Student Evaluation of Teaching (SET) surveys. SET surveys allow students to share their perceptions of teaching methods, staff, and assessment.
Student voice can influence higher education institutions in several ways:
- Student evaluations are used to improve the quality of teaching.
- Student feedback is considered when determining academic promotion.
- Quality indicators for teaching and learning (QITL), often determined through student surveys, are used to market the university.
The takeaway is that SET surveys can shape both internal decisions and how an institution is perceived by prospective students.
From an economic perspective, the third point is particularly important. If universities do not adapt teaching and assessment in response to student perceptions, QITL can suffer. Consequently, a university may lose revenue as students choose to study elsewhere.
Assessment is of particular importance to students. Therefore, the key to improving students' perceptions and QITL may lie in adapting assessment methods to better fit students' timelines, workloads, and strengths.
A practical takeaway is that assessment design is one of the most direct levers institutions can use to improve student perceptions.
Hemming and Power created a conceptual model which highlights the influences that affect student perceptions of assessment in a higher education business-model context. This model identifies 13 key factors that influence student perception of educational methods, including stress and anxiety, strengths and weaknesses, personal motivation, and approaches to learning. The relationship between influences, student perceptions, and corporate goals is considered dynamic; these components feed back and influence one another. When you interpret student feedback, these factors can help explain why a rating or comment looks the way it does.
Many higher education institutions have already begun taking student perception into account by providing marking sheets to clarify assessment requirements and reducing course length. Through analysis in this article, Hemming and Power predict that universities will begin to react to student voice by:
- Further reducing the time to complete a degree.
- Adapting assessment methods to reduce workload.
- Redesigning courses to reflect the desires of students.
This article has argued that higher education institutions can be viewed through an economic lens when considering the effect of student voice. Students now have a powerful role as consumers within these frameworks, and as such are capable of influencing change in teaching and assessment methods. Hemming and Power predict that universities will adapt their educational methods to reflect these desires, even at the expense of education quality. As educational institutions are further viewed as businesses, the priorities and goals of students, lecturers, and institutions may change. It will be essential that universities maintain high student satisfaction to increase student attraction and retention, and to maximise revenue.
FAQ
Q: How do different demographics of students perceive the effectiveness of Student Evaluation of Teaching (SET) surveys in capturing their voice, and are there alternative or complementary methods that could enhance the inclusivity and accuracy of student feedback?
A: Perceptions of how effective SET surveys are at capturing student voice can vary across different demographics. Some students feel these surveys allow them to express their opinions about teaching methods and assessment, while others, particularly students from underrepresented groups, may not feel as heard. This can be influenced by factors such as whether questions reflect different student experiences, the timing of surveys, and how confident students feel about anonymity.
To enhance inclusivity and accuracy, institutions could complement SET surveys with focus groups, suggestion boxes, and forums that invite more open-ended feedback. These methods provide qualitative data that can give deeper insight into student experiences and preferences. Incorporating text analysis tools to interpret open-ended responses can further help institutions understand the nuances of student voice across diverse student populations.
Q: What are the potential biases and limitations inherent in the text analysis of student feedback collected through SET surveys, and how do these impact the interpretation and implementation of changes by higher education institutions?
A: Text analysis of student feedback collected through SET surveys can introduce biases and limitations. For example, nuance may be lost if analysis tools do not account for slang, idiomatic expressions, or cultural differences in communication. Sentiment analysis tools can also struggle with detecting sarcasm or mixed emotions, which can lead to an oversimplified interpretation of student feedback.
These limitations can affect how data is interpreted and which changes are prioritised, potentially leading to changes that do not fully address students' concerns or that misrepresent their feedback. Institutions need to be aware of these limitations when using text analysis to inform decisions. This might involve combining quantitative and qualitative analysis, and bringing in human interpretation to complement automated findings.
Q: How do students' expectations and perceptions of education quality, as expressed through their feedback, align with academic and pedagogical standards, and what challenges do institutions face in balancing these perspectives?
A: Students' expectations and perceptions of education quality, as expressed through their feedback, do not always align with academic and pedagogical standards. Students may prioritise aspects of their educational experience, such as teaching methods, assessment timelines, and workload, differently from how educators and institutions prioritise academic rigour and pedagogical integrity.
This misalignment presents challenges for institutions that want to respond to student voice while maintaining high academic standards. The challenge lies in making adjustments that reflect students' priorities without compromising the educational content's depth and quality. Engaging in ongoing dialogue with students about the rationale behind academic and pedagogical approaches can help align expectations and perceptions, fostering a more collaborative and understanding educational environment.
References
[Source Paper] Hemming, A., & Power, M. (2021) Student ‘voice’ and higher education assessment: Is it all about the money?, Journal of University Teaching & Learning Practice, 18(1).
DOI: 10.53761/1.18.1.6
Request a walkthrough
Book a free Student Voice Analytics demo
See all-comment coverage, sector benchmarks, and reporting designed for OfS quality and NSS requirements.
- All-comment coverage with HE-tuned taxonomy and sentiment.
- Versioned outputs with TEF-ready reporting.
- Benchmarks and BI-ready exports for boards and Senate.
UK-hosted · No public LLM APIs · Same-day turnaround
Related Entries
- Is student voice focus harming participation in HE?
- Student voice in the context of marketized higher education
- Exploring the depths of student dissatisfaction in UK higher education
- Student voices in evaluation - motivations and perceptions
- Student comment analysis governance checklist for UK HE