Exploring students' perceptions of feedback in relation to cognitive styles and culture

Abstract

This study considers the role of cognitive styles and culture in relation to students' perceptions of the value of different types and sources of feedback from sociocultural and constructivist perspectives. The increasingly heterogeneous nature of higher education highlights the importance of enhancing student accessibility to and engagement with feedback; the lenses of cognitive style and culture are important ones in this respect. Indigenous and international students on three post‐graduate UK university courses were invited to be involved in this study as active participant researchers. Analytic and intuitive cognitive styles were measured using the revised version of the Cognitive Styles Index (CSI). All students completed a questionnaire informed by previous research to ascertain their perceptions of feedback. Thirteen international students also participated in an enhancing feedback project used as a pedagogical tool to support their learning. Cognitive styles and culture were found to impact on students' perceptions of the value of different forms of feedback. Both similarities and differences in perceptions of feedback were identified within and between the groups. The intervention involving a personal learning styles pedagogy approach (PLSP) was perceived as helpful to the students in enabling them to be more self‐regulated in their approach to accessing and using feedback. Amendments that can be made to enhance feedback practice as a result of this study and broader implications of the work to inform assessment and course design are outlined.