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Understanding classroom feedback practices: A study of New Zealand student experiences, perceptions, and emotional responses

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Abstract

While feedback is a key factor for improving student learning, little is known about how students understand and experience feedback within the classroom. This study analysed 193 New Zealand primary and secondary students’ survey responses alongside drawings of their understandings and experiences of feedback to examine how they experience, understand, and respond to feedback. It found that despite New Zealand’s strong commitment to student-centred Assessment for Learning practices, the majority of students still drew, selected, and endorsed teacher-led feedback practices, with pictures dominated by written comments or grades. However, they generally depicted and described this feedback as positive and constructive, suggesting that negative emotional responses to evaluative comments and grades may be lessened if students perceive such feedback will help them improve.

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Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge financial support from The University of Auckland Faculty Research Development Fund grants (#3609273/9215). All data were collected and analysed in accordance with conditions set down by The University of Auckland Human Participants Ethics Committee approvals (HPEC #2008/006, #2008/053). Additionally, we thank the participating students for sharing their ideas about feedback with us. A previous version of this paper was presented to the Classroom Assessment SIG at the April 2012 Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association in Vancouver, BC.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Education, Central Queensland University, CQUniversity Australia Rockhampton Campus, Building 33, Bruce Highway, Rockhampton, 4702, Australia

    Lois R. Harris

  2. School of Learning, Development, and Professional Practice, Faculty of Education, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand

    Gavin T. L. Brown & Jennifer A. Harnett

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  1. Lois R. Harris
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  2. Gavin T. L. Brown
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Correspondence to Lois R. Harris.

Appendices

Appendices

1.1 Appendix 1

Table 12 Conceptions of feedback factors
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1.2 Appendix 2

Table 13 Feedback practices
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Harris, L.R., Brown, G.T.L. & Harnett, J.A. Understanding classroom feedback practices: A study of New Zealand student experiences, perceptions, and emotional responses. Educ Asse Eval Acc 26, 107–133 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11092-013-9187-5

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