Taking a nuanced view of the role of teacher feedback in the elementary classroom

Abstract

ABSTRACT The dynamic nature of feedback makes provision of learning enhancing feedback challenging. A collaborative peer mentoring professional development case study utilising observational video data from a series of lessons examined how teacher feedback knowledge and beliefs are articulated and developed in pedagogical practices, and the tensions that arise in giving learning enhancing feedback in an active learning setting. The high level of teacher feedback knowledge and positively aligned beliefs was found to be contradictory to the feedback practices used in the classroom. The analysis showed that consistent provision of learning to enhance types of feedback was constrained due to environmental and pedagogical tensions. Predominantly, verbal, non-specific, positively oriented feedback was shown to be temporally situated, with tensions arising from the multiple purposes it serves, including classroom management and relationship building. Furthermore, despite the merits of a localised, situated professional development approach, teacher behavioural change proved complex to achieve. This study concluded some types of feedback not characterised as ‘learning enhancing’ can offer educational benefits and should not be dismissed.