Feedback alignment: effective and ineffective links between tutors’ and students’ understanding of coursework feedback

Abstract

Tutors’ intentions when providing feedback may not be accurately perceived and acted on by students. In this study, 19 biological sciences students and six tutors were interviewed concerning the tutor’s intentions when providing specific feedback and the students’ perceptions and usage of that feedback. A phenomenological approach was used to analyse the interview data. Additionally, copies of the documented feedback were examined and the feedback style was classified. Student conceptions of the role of feedback included providing guidance, identifying what the tutor wants and giving meaning to the work to develop learning. Analysis of tutor feedback styles indicates that tutors were focussed on giving praise and correcting misunderstandings in the present assignment. Since developmental aspects of students’ learning were rarely addressed in tutor feedback, these findings suggest some misalignment in feedback provision. Tutors need to provide more guidance to students regarding the use of feedback, possibly by introducing better scaffolding and variation into their feedback.