Feedback Literacy Research Articles

University students’ socio-emotional skills: the role of the teaching and learning environment

ABSTRACT Socio-emotional skills are vital for individuals to thrive academically, personally, and socially in the twenty-first century. However, limited attention has been devoted to the factors that might facilitate or hinder the development of socio-emotional skills among university students. To address this gap, we explored the association between the teaching and learning environment and socio-emotional skills using both variable-centered (Study 1) and person-centered (Study 2) approaches. A survey was conducted among 1,136 students in 21 universities. In Study 1, the variable-centered approach showed that active learning, good teaching, and clear goals and standards were positively associated with socio-emotional skills, while feedback and appropriate assessment had no significant or negative influence on socio-emotional skills. In Study 2, the person-centered approach identified three groups of students characterized by low, medium, and high socio-emotional skills. Students who experienced higher levels of active learning and clear goals and standards were more likely to belong to the high socio-emotional skills group. Surprisingly, students who received more frequent feedback from their teachers were more likely to belong to the low socio-emotional skills group, which we speculated might be due to low levels of feedback literacy. These findings underscore the importance of the teaching and learning environment in developing students’ socio-emotional skills in the higher education context.

Research impacts and trends in feedback literacy: a bibliometric analysis

Given its prominence in maximising feedback processes, feedback literacy has received large scholarly attention over the past decade. This article aims to use a bibliometric approach to provide an overview of the evolution of feedback literacy from 2012 to May 1, 2024. Based on 240 documents retrieved from Scopus, a performance analysis and science mapping were conducted to explore research trends and impacts in feedback literacy. The performance analysis identifying volume, key authors, principal journals, and leading institutions reveals the research impacts in the feedback literacy landscape. The science mapping adopted the bibliometric software, VOSviewer, to analyse keyword co-occurrences and co-citations and visualised research trends in feedback literacy. Findings reveal two key authors, David Carless and David Boud, a top principal journal, Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, and two leading institutions, the University of Hong Kong and Deakin University leading the feedback literacy field. It also reveals important themes in feedback literacy research: student and teacher feedback literacy, peer feedback and assessment, ecological perspectives, development and validation of feedback literacy scales, and L2 writing. This paper sheds light on the current state of feedback literacy research and provides insights and trajectories for different stakeholders in the education sector.

Empowering through feedback: Economics teachers' motivations for assessment practices in public schools

Research on assessment feedback practices in economics education within South African public schools has been limited, particularly in terms of teachers' motivations and approaches. This study addresses this gap by exploring the reasons and motivations behind Grade 10-12 Economics teachers' use of assessment feedback in three public schools in South Africa. A qualitative case study design was employed, involving three teachers at different career stages. Data was collected through semi-structured individual interviews and document analysis of feedback samples. Thematic analysis, informed by the concept of feedback literacy, was used to analyse the data. The findings revealed two primary motivations: using assessment feedback for academic growth and providing feedback for real-world application. Teachers viewed feedback as a crucial tool for enhancing students' understanding of economic concepts and preparing them for future academic and professional challenges. The study concludes that teachers' feedback practices align with contemporary educational theories and demonstrate a commitment to contextualising economics education within the South African environment. Recommendations include implementing targeted professional development programs to enhance feedback literacy, revising curricula to incorporate opportunities for meaningful feedback, and conducting further research across diverse educational contexts. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of assessment practices in Economics education and has implications for teacher professional development and curriculum design in South African public schools, ultimately aiming to develop economically literate and critically engaged citizens.

Leveraging ChatGPT to enhance students’ writing skills, engagement, and feedback literacy

The rapid development of technology has dramatically increased the use of AI chatbots in English Language Teaching (ELT). This research investigates the role of AI chatbots in English as Foreign Language (EFL) students’ writing by addressing the following three main goals: (1) to measure how AI chatbots affect students' writing learning outcomes, (2) to evaluate their impact on writing feedback literacy and engagement, and (3) to explore how students use AI chatbots to improve these areas. Fifty Indonesian university students undertaking an Economic English course participated in this mixed-methods study, divided into an experimental group and a control group, each with 25 students. Data collection instruments included tests, questionnaires, and interviews. Quantitative data were analyzed statistically, while qualitative data were examined through thematic analysis. The findings revealed that the experimental group using AI chatbots showed significant improvements in writing outcomes. Additionally, this group demonstrated notable advancements in both writing feedback literacy and engagement. Students employed various strategies such as interactive writing practice, personalized learning plans, guidance on reading materials, acting upon feedback, peer feedback, gamified learning, and community building to enhance these areas. These results advance our understanding of the role of AI chatbots and inform instructional strategies in ELT.

Explorando la alfabetización en feedback en la formación de profesionales de la salud: un estudio cualitativo

IntroductionFeedback is recognized as a process in which students make sense of information from various sources and use it to improve performance. Several studies have shown dissatisfaction from students about this process, which could mean there is no conceptual consensus about this process.Feedback literacy refers to the understanding and capacities to make sense of the information received and use it to improve performance, which is considered essential for an effective feedback process. Despite its importance, the implications that student feedback literacy has in teaching and course design have not been sufficiently taken into account, and uncertainty persists about engaging them effectively, especially in clinical settings. MethodologyCross-sectional study with a pragmatic approach and qualitative methods. First and fourth-year students from health-related careers at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile were invited to participate. Six focus groups were organized, and thematic analysis was used. ResultsThree themes guided the findings. Differences exist between first- and fourth-year students regarding their capacity to recognize feedback instances and how they make sense of their experiences with this educational strategy. Students perceive feedback as a one-way process. Higher-level students recognize more instances of feedback. ConclusionsUnderstanding students’ feedback literacy will enable future educational interventions on feedback processes in Health Sciences.

Academic Achievement According to Learner’s Feedback Literacy a Capstone Design Class of the Department of Dental Hygiene

Academic Achievement According to Learner’s Feedback Literacy a Capstone Design Class of the Department of Dental Hygiene

The impact of an online doctoral writing group

Abstract Challenges with writing have been identified as a key factor in the timely completion of PhD programs. Doctoral writing groups, where students provide peer feedback on drafts, are increasingly being implemented as a potential solution to support and develop student writing. This paper presents an exploration of the impact of an online doctoral writing group program at a large Australian university. The group supports students in writing a research article for publication in an academic journal and includes both facilitator-led instruction and peer feedback. We explored the group’s impact on the participants’ writing ability, feedback literacy, and general well-being. Data were drawn from two doctoral writing groups and derived from several sources: session transcripts, focus groups, anonymous surveys, student drafts, and published samples of students’ academic journal articles. We found that instruction was key to demystifying the writing process and developing feedback literacy. Furthermore, the online delivery mode provided access to support for cohorts traditionally excluded from these opportunities, as well as a safe space that fostered a sense of well-being. This approach suggests a sustainable and effective model for implementation in graduate programs.

The Influence of Middle School Students' Feedback Literacy in English on Teachers' Teaching

The Influence of Middle School Students' Feedback Literacy in English on Teachers' Teaching

Designing Curriculum for Student Feedback Literacy: Student Appreciation for and Engagement with Teacher Feedback

Designing Curriculum for Student Feedback Literacy: Student Appreciation for and Engagement with Teacher Feedback

Towards an idealized model of feedback uptake: longitudinal development of feedback literacy from a social constructivist perspective

ABSTRACT One of the potentials and challenges for the implementation of effective feedback processes lies in promoting and enacting purposeful student uptake of teacher written feedback. The theoretical framework in addressing this puzzle emanates from the inter-related concepts of social constructivist approaches to feedback and student feedback literacy. Feedback from a social constructivist perspective is underpinned by social and relational interaction in co-constructing inferences from feedback information. Feedback literacy represents the capacities to use feedback information productively. The aim of this longitudinal qualitative inquiry is to analyze how an undergraduate student interprets and uses teacher written feedback to enhance her work and her feedback literacy over a four-year period, in collaboration with a co-researcher. The main data sources comprise all written feedback provided by teachers over the four-year period; co-constructed analysis and action planning; enactment of action plans; and the student’s reflective journal of feedback experiences. The findings are presented in three chronological stages to demonstrate the main feedback literacy development of the student in appreciating the value of feedback, enhancing emotional resilience in response to critical feedback and managing feedback uptake. Experiencing successful feedback uptake is identified as a significant factor in enhancing self-efficacy and supporting the development of student feedback literacy. On the basis of the longitudinal evidence, an idealized model of feedback uptake is proposed underpinned by social constructivist principles. The originality of our contribution to social constructivist feedback research lies in illustrating how its principles are implemented over time.

Teachers’ Feedback and Professional Growth in Teacher Education: Implications for Feedback Literacy

Teachers’ Feedback and Professional Growth in Teacher Education: Implications for Feedback Literacy

The influences of international master's students' feedback seeking behaviour on their feedback literacy and feedback contexts: An ecological perspective

Previous research has found that L2 student writers use inquiry and monitoring to elicit feedback, but few studies have investigated the impact of feedback seeking behaviours (FSB) on student feedback literacy and their learning contexts. To address these issues, the current study drew on an ecological perspective to explore two international master's students' self-initiated FSB in the UK academic environment. Qualitative data analysis of interview transcripts revealed that both students proactively sought feedback, albeit from distinct sources (i.e., peer feedback vs. teacher feedback). As they chose to seek feedback from their preferred sources, they created greater learning opportunities, which in turn enhanced their dispositions to seek and use feedback, capabilities of eliciting, evaluating feedback and judging their own work, and knowledge about feedback and assessment. The process of seeking feedback also enabled them to construct connections with a wider range of feedback interactants, access more artefacts, and therefore cultivate a more supportive feedback ecology with richer affordances. The uncovered incremental but unbalanced development of student feedback literacy facilitated by FSB, as well as the changes of feedback contexts induced by FSB, provides new insights into the close relationship between FSB, student feedback literacy, and feedback ecology.

Investigating the development of peer-led asynchronous digitally mediated feedback in higher education: three case studies

ABSTRACT Research on feedback literacy continues to highlight how students deliver, receive and act upon feedback and how performing these actions inform how they learn. Feedback literacy, as a multidimensional concept, is often composed of seeking feedback, understanding feedback, using feedback, providing feedback, and managing emotions around feedback. What remains largely unexplored is how digital platforms, involving cycles of asynchronous feedback, can enhance the development of peer-to-peer feedback literacy for students in higher education. This article draws on preliminary findings from research comprising surveys, focus groups and semi-structured interviews with observation of digital interaction, capturing how students in the caring professions (n = 21) engaged in feedback literacy on a digital platform. The selected case studies encapsulate both the development of feedback literacy as well as some of its different dimensions such as critical thinking, problem-solving skills and the affective aspect of taking onboard feedback. While each participant in each case study experienced a similar cycle, each experienced it differently in terms of the development of their feedback literacy.

Scaffolding Feedback Literacy: Designing a Feedback Analytics Tool with Students

Feedback is essential in learning. The emerging concept of feedback literacy underscores the skills students require for effective use of feedback. This highlights students’ responsibilities in the feedback process. Yet, there is currently a lack of mechanisms to understand how students make sense of feedback and whether they act on it. This gap makes it hard to effectively support students in feedback literacy development and improve the quality of feedback. As a specific application of learning analytics, feedback analytics (analytics on learner engagement with feedback) can offer insights into students’ learning engagement and progression, which can in turn be used to scaffold student feedback literacy. This study proposes a feedback analytics tool, designed with students, aimed at aiding students to synthesize feedback received from multiple sources, scaffold the sense-making process, and prompt deeper reflections or actions on feedback based on data about students’ interactions with feedback. We held focus group discussions with 38 students to learn about their feedback experiences and identified tool features. Based on identified user requirements, a prototype was developed and validated with 16 students via individual interviews. Based on the findings, we envision a feedback analytics tool with the aim of scaffolding student feedback literacy.

Conceptualizing multimodal feedback literacy for L2 writing teachers in the digital age

AbstractGiven that feedback is increasingly digital and multimodal, there is a pressing need to prepare L2 writing teachers to give multimodal feedback. Yet the notion of multimodal feedback appears underrepresented in extant research on teacher feedback literacy and it is often equated as multimedia feedback. To make feedback relevant to multiplicity in feedback‐giving modes and technologies, as well as diversity in student backgrounds and composing practices, this paper proposes the construct of multimodal feedback literacy as an important part of teacher feedback literacy. Grounded in social semiotic of multimodality, this paper elucidates the notions of feedback design, feedback affordance, feedback orchestration, and feedback ensemble as essential dimensions of multimodal feedback literacy. We argue that the development of multimodal feedback literacy entails competences in recognizing the affordances of multiple feedback‐giving modes, designing coherent feedback ensembles through orchestrating multiple feedback‐giving modes with apt intermodal relations, and managing feedback ensemble as motivated and accumulative. A framework for L2 writing teachers to develop multimodal feedback literacy in relation to a complex and recursive process of being, doing, and becoming is also developed. Implications and challenges are then discussed.

Feedback – A New Perspective in Learning. A Constatative Approach to Feedback Literacy in Teacher Education

This study aims to explore students’ perspective on feedback and feedback literacy. Open-response data were analysed using an inductively derived coding framework and applied thematic analysis. The findings enhance two major themes regarding feedback perception in students’ mindset: first and widely covered theme recognizes the role of feedback in the learning process and second theme highlights the contribution of feedback to the construction of educational relations. The students enrolled in the certification program for teaching career point out that feedback offered to teachers regarding their influence and pedagogical practices represents an acknowledgement of didactic professionalism and a new way in student-teacher relationship.

Effects of peer feedback in English writing classes on EFL students’ writing feedback literacy

Despite the increasing scholarly attention towards students’ writing feedback literacy in recent years, empirical explorations of effective approaches to enhancing this capacity remain scarce. While peer feedback often plays an important role in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) writing development, few studies seem to have addressed the potential impacts of peer feedback activities on students’ overall writing feedback literacy. To fill this gap, a mixed-methods study was designed to investigate the effect of peer feedback activities on students’ writing feedback literacy development across such dimensions as appreciating feedback, making judgements, acknowledging different sources of feedback, managing affect, and taking actions with feedback. Two intact classes, one as the experimental group and the other control group, participated in the study. The experimental group engaged in peer feedback activities during the semester (12 weeks), whereas the control group received conventional teacher feedback only. The pre- and post-intervention results based on a writing feedback literacy scale were compared between the two groups, in addition to the analysis of interviews with the teacher and focal students from the experimental group, as well as students’ written assignments and revisions after receiving peer feedback. Results showed that peer feedback activities could significantly improve students’ appreciation of feedback and their ability to make judgements. Nevertheless, no significant changes in other dimensions were identified. These findings extend the current understanding of EFL students’ writing feedback literacy and hold valuable pedagogical implications.

A mixed method approach to exploring feedback literacy through student self-reflection

When students enter university, they become increasingly accountable for their own learning. Feedback and self-reflection processes are an important part of this. Therefore, the primary aim of this mixed methods study is to contribute to the understanding of how feedback literacy and self-reflection can be measured, interact, and support each other in the learning process. The study uses reflective logs, self-reflection course grades, the Feedback Orientation Scale, and the Self-Reflection and Insight Scale to follow-up on engineering students during their first year at university. In general, a positive relation is observed between feedback literacy and self-reflection, as well as growth during the first year at university, as evidenced through students’ reflective logs. These findings support earlier research and echo the call to promote reflection about feedback to enhance student feedback literacy. As these observations were not supported by the measurement scales, it is suggested that if the goal is to assess actual engagement rather than students’ intentions, the scales should be used with caution.

Improving writing teacher feedback literacy: The role of an L2 writing teacher education course

Improving writing teacher feedback literacy: The role of an <scp>L2</scp> writing teacher education course

Discerning and acknowledging diverse types of feedback in clinical practice – a way to develop feedback literacy

Feedback literacy includes students’ abilities to understand, use and benefit from feedback processes; it is important for the development of self-directed learning, SDL. Considering all of the places where students can potentially learn, especially the clinic, we would argue that feedback has been too narrowly defined. This study aims to explore the different shapes feedback can take for students in their clinical practice. Nursing students at different educational levels were interviewed about their learning after completing a five-week clinical placement within elderly care. Their narratives were explored using a qualitative content analysis of both the manifest and latent content. Interestingly, feedback was shown to be generated by the students themselves: Noticing what others do and what happens on site; Active participation providing first-hand experiences; Getting and taking responsibility; and Understanding what you know and what you need to learn. Although not termed feedback by the students, comparison with their own thoughts, feelings, and behaviours as they observed, participated, and reflected emerged as important to their learning. For this internal feedback to become useful in the development of feedback literacy and SDL, students’ reflections are paramount.