Effective feedback
Categories: English / Mathematics / Primary / Science / Secondary

What is it?

Feedback is information given to the learner and/or the teacher about the learner’s performance relative to the learning goals which then redirects or refocuses either the teacher’s or the learner’s actions to achieve the goal. It can be about the learning activity or task itself, about the process of the task or activity, about the student’s management of their own learning or their self-regulation or about them as individuals. Research suggests that feedback is best directed at the task and process level. Research suggests that it should be:

• about challenging tasks or goals (rather than easy ones);
• given sparingly (i.e. needs to be meaningful);
• more important to give feedback about what is right than what is wrong;
• important to be as specific as you can and, if possible, compare what they are doing right now with what they have done wrong before; and
• it should encourage them, and not threaten their self-esteem.

How effective is it?

Feedback studies have tended to have high to very high effects on learning. However some studies also show that feedback can have negative effects so it is important to understand the potential benefits and limitations. This was part of the rationale for the design of Assessment for Learning. Research-based approaches which provide feedback to learners, such as Bloom’s ‘mastery learning’, also tend to have a positive impact on learning when used in schools.

Impact summary: + 9 months (effect size 0.74)

How secure is the evidence?

There are a substantial number of reviews and meta-analyses of the effects of feedback. However some are theoretical studies, particularly in psychology, exploring both positive and negative effects. Educational studies tend to identify positive benefits where the aim is to improve learning. Estimates of effect sizes from meta-analyses ranging from 0.74 to 1.13 are identified in one recent review. The challenge is making feedback work practically in the classroom.

Strength of the evidence:

What are the costs?

The costs of providing more effective feedback are not high. One study even estimates that the impact of rapid feedback on learning is 124 time more cost effective that reducing class sizes! However it is likely to require sustained professional development to improve classroom practice.

Cost summary: ££

How applicable is it?

Feedback has effects on all types of learning. Evidence in schools has focussed particularly on English, mathematics and to a lesser extent science.

Further information:

There is a good review by Valerie Shute for the Educational Testing Service (ETS) in the USA and a practical summary table of what to do to support learners in the summary: http://www.ets.org/Media/Research/pdf/RR-07-11.pdf

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