NSS open-text research brief · 2026 edition
What Earth Sciences students said in NSS 2026
Teaching Staff is the most frequently mentioned reportable topic in 2026.
01 · The 2026 answer
What changed from 2025?
No valid 2026 versus 2025 claim
The page remains useful for the multi-year evidence, but no individual topic has at least 30 reportable comments in both 2025 and 2026. We do not infer a subject-level movement from unmatched topic samples.
02 · Findings
Where sentiment differs from the sector
Topics within this subject are shown only when at least 20 comments support the cut.
Above-sector sentiment
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Teaching Staff
n=31 · sentiment +47.3 · +5.4 points vs sector · 44.3% mention rate
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Placements, Fieldwork and Trips
n=29 · sentiment +25.5 · +11.1 points vs sector · 41.4% mention rate
Below-sector sentiment
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Delivery of Teaching
n=28 · sentiment −3.4 · −26.3 points vs sector · 40.0% mention rate
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Type and Breadth of Course Content
n=20 · sentiment +7.4 · −18.5 points vs sector · 28.6% mention rate
03 · Comparisons
Topics compared with the sector
Subject and sector figures are calculated on a like-for-like basis using the same deterministic supervised learning approach.
| Topic | n | Mention rate | Sentiment | Vs sector |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Teaching Staff | 31 | 44.3% | +47.3 | +5.4 |
| Placements, Fieldwork and Trips | 29 | 41.4% | +25.5 | +11.1 |
| Delivery of Teaching | 28 | 40.0% | −3.4 | −26.3 |
| Type and Breadth of Course Content | 20 | 28.6% | +7.4 | −18.5 |
04 · Time series
Current questionnaire period, 2023–2026
The 2023 NSS questionnaire redesign creates a comparability break. We show earlier years separately as context rather than drawing a trend through 2022–2023.
| Year | Comments |
|---|---|
| 2023 | 51 |
| 2024 | 152 |
| 2025 | 77 |
| 2026 | 70 |
Show historical context, 2018–2022
All years were analysed with the same deterministic supervised learning approach, but the survey instrument differs from the current questionnaire.
| Year | Comments |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 229 |
| 2019 | 158 |
| 2020 | 175 |
| 2021 | 112 |
| 2022 | 101 |
05 · Action
Three evidence-linked actions
Use the findings to choose a local test, then check the same topic and cohort again rather than treating a sector pattern as a diagnosis of one provider.
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1
Design a consistent teaching rhythm
Set a baseline for session structure, preparation, accessible materials and follow-up, while preserving the teaching methods each discipline needs.
Evidence: Delivery of Teaching has a 2026 sentiment index of −3.4 from n=28 comments.
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2
Spread effective teaching practice
Use peer review and programme-level discussion to share approaches that students value while addressing avoidable inconsistency between modules.
Evidence: Teaching Staff has a 2026 sentiment index of +47.3 from n=31 comments.
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3
Set a common placement quality standard
Define expectations for allocation, supervision, safety, reasonable adjustment and escalation, then debrief every placement cycle.
Evidence: Placements, Fieldwork and Trips has a 2026 sentiment index of +25.5 from n=29 comments.
06 · Method and limits
How to read this evidence
How topics are identified
Deterministic supervised learning models identify topics in each sentence. A comment counts once in every topic it mentions; mention rate is the share of comments included in the analysis for the same population, so topic rates do not sum to 100%.
Sentiment index
The index summarises the balance of positive and negative language from −100 to +100. Scores are averaged within each comment first, so longer comments do not carry more weight.
When results are shown
Pages require at least 100 comments and three reportable topics or subject cuts. Displayed cuts require n≥20; 2026-versus-2025 claims require n≥30 in both years.
Scope
This is authorised aggregate analysis of OfS NSS national undergraduate open-text comments. In 2026, 40,822 of 43,870 source comments were classified (93.1%); mention-rate denominators exclude unclassified comments.
07 · Reuse
Cite this page
Student Voice research team (2026). “Earth Sciences student feedback: NSS open-text insights, 2026.” Reviewed by Dr Stuart Grey. Student Voice AI. https://www.studentvoice.ai/cah3/earth-sciences/