Effective Feedback

Many academics have analysed and written about the power of effective feedback and the multitude of different methods and modes that teachers and lecturers can utilise.

As teachers we recognise that checking that understanding of learning is taking place is vitally important not only to assess what students know, but also to self-assess the teacher’s own teaching strengths.

What is interesting in the many publications about feedback, is that there appears to be little said about the link between identifying the gaps in student knowledge and skills and identifying gaps in the teacher’s knowledge and skills in the teaching environment.

The evidence base relies heavily on measuring the success of effective feedback given to students, be that oral or written feedback and interestingly the research suggests that frequent and relevant verbal feedback has a slightly more positive impact than written feedback. (EEF, 2021)

This may be surprising, as internal assessment of quality of education is often judged from the quality of written feedback given to students during their learning progression, identified in curriculum deep dive analysis of students work.

However, the evidence base strongly suggests that other forms of feedback in the classroom have a strong impact on students receiving relevant and reliable feedback, such as peer feedback and feedback delivered through technology. (EEF, 2021)

The teacher/lecturer is at the heart of delivering effective feedback to all students and this does mean that each student should receive bespoke and individualised feedback that informs the student what they have done well and what they need to do to make improvements.

For student progress to be successful, the student needs to understand the teachers feedback and what they need to do to improve. Teacher and peer feedback can provide the hints and tips required to help students make their work even better, bridging the gap in their knowledge and skills. (Hattie, 2009)

However, much of the analysis on feedback tends to focus on a wide variety of methods and techniques that teachers can utilise in the classroom, studio or workshop, and often there can be very little emphasis on developing the skills of teachers/lecturers on delivering better quality feedback to students in the educational setting.

Therein lies a problem. The teacher also requires effective feedback from observations, walkthroughs and analysis of their verbal feedback and assignment marking to guide and develop their own effective feedback skills. (Balcı, and Özkan, 2023)

Buron and McDonald-Man define effective feedback as the ability to provide staff and students with the valuable information they need to improve their overall performance, however, teacher observations often do not go beyond a written report and a short verbal feedback session. (DiPaola and Hoy, 2014)

In order to improve the quality of effective feedback that teachers/lecturers give to their students, it is important to also provide the necessary developmental training for teachers/lecturers to enable them to make good progress in their teaching practice. Research suggests that feedback and frequent support from college leaders in the form of targeted training and CPD allows teachers the time and space to develop their effective feedback skills. (Balci, and Özkan, 2023)

Research also suggests that it is too often assumed that all qualified and experienced teachers have the skills to provide effective feedback, referred to by Weisberg et al. (2009) as the “widget effect”.

Providing targeted training that enables teaching staff to maintain and update their teaching skills is vital to ensuring that high quality feedback is offered to staff from leaders and trainers and that teachers/lecturers can then offer effective feedback to all of their students. (Oliva and Pawlas, 2008)

Supportive and robust CPD and training for teachers/lecturers, followed by observation and valuable feedback, will have a positive impact improving the quality of frequent effective feedback given to all students.

Elizabeth A. Brown (2024)

References

Balcı, S., and Özkan, H. (2023). Development, Implementation, and Evaluation of An Effective Feedback Program for School Principals to Improve In-class Teaching. Shanlax International Journal of Education, 11(S1), 242–258.

Buron, R. J., and McDonald-Mann, D. Giving Feedback to Subordinates. Greensboro, N.C.: Centre for Creative Leadership, 1999

Di Paola, M. F., and Hoy, W. K. (2014). Improving Instruction through Supervision, Evaluation, and Professional Development. Charlotte, North Carolina: Information Age Publishing.

Hattie, J. (2009) Visible learning: A Synthesis of Over 800 Meta-Analyses Relating to Achievement. Abingdon and New York: Routledge

Weisberg, D., Sexton, S., Mulhern, J., & Keeling, D. (2009). The Widget Effect: Our National Failure to Acknowledge and Act on Differences in Teacher Effectiveness. Brooklyn, NY: The New Teacher Project.

Websites

Education Endowment Foundation

Feedback | EEF (educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk)

The benefits of supporting Further Education to build a robust and globally leading society.

Further Education embodies the practical backbone of a successful society that provides expertise in services to people, construction trades, the arts, health and social care, sport, science and engineering and much much more. These skillsets are essential to building a strong society and if robustly supported at a further education level, can significant contribute towards developing a workforce of global excellence.

Becoming a teacher in further education, particularly if you have industry experience in your subject specialism, brings a unique set of knowledge and skills that are invaluable to the education of our experts of the future. A teachers unique understanding of how industry works can ensure that a student’s FE experience is built around gaining the necessary academic knowledge and practical skills required to be successful in their chosen field.

Believing in the talents and abilities of our young people and supporting them on their learning journey empowers the next generation to achieve success and contribute immeasurably to the development of local, regional and national economies.

Those teachers who share their industry skills and knowledge within Further Education settings across the United Kingdom form the supportive scaffold that students require to guide and enhance their own experiences as they achieve their qualifications.

The further education teacher helps to build students’ confidence, develop their communication skills and prepares them for independent life, allowing them to plan for their future dreams and aspirations.

The FE teacher provides strong and adaptive teaching, learning and assessment strategies that motivate and engage all students in preparation for progression into employment, further or higher education.

E.A. Brown © 2024

Thoughts about Adaptive Teaching in Further Education

There is now, more than ever the need to acknowledge Inclusive Teaching, Learning and Assessment Practice in further education, that allows all students equal opportunities to learn.

With more effective Diagnostic Assessments of student's, TLA adaptations in the classroom are now part of everyday planning for teachers and teaching assistants across the further education sector.​

Inclusive practice and acknowledging value diversity, creates a learning environment that allows all students to feel safe and ready to learn (Equality Challenge Unit, 2014)

Inclusive teaching, learning and assessment can be defined as:

 'The ways in which pedagogy, curricula and assessment are designed and delivered to engage students in learning that is meaningful, relevant and accessible to all. It embraces a view of the individual and individual difference as the source of diversity that can enrich the lives and learning of others.' (Hockings, 2010)

Adaptation as the norm not the need

• In the learning environment today, there is a need to move away from terminology that suggests that students need to adapt to the learning environment, towards language that ensures that further education and teachers adapt to their students, so that an inclusive model is created.​
  

• Every student is entitled to a high-quality education, and we should not think in terms of fulfilling a localised need for adaptive provision. ​
  

• We now must adapt to our students rather than students adapting to existing educational constraints.

Reference List​

Equality Challenge Unit (2014)  Equality and diversity for teaching staff in colleges​

Hockings, C. (2010) Inclusive learning and teaching in higher education: a synthesis of research . York: HEA