What is Effective Feedback? A Comparison of Views of Students and Academics

Abstract

In recent years the literature regarding feedback has flourished with many researchers exploring the various factors related to student feedback. Researchers have focussed on individual aspects of feedback, such as timing or quality, and mainly explored the views of students to develop ways to increase the student satisfaction. However, with relatively low scores still being achieved through the National Student Survey (NSS), the question ‘why are students unhappy with feedback?’ still remains. The purpose of this research was to explore the perception of academic staff and students regarding what is effective feedback? A total of 9 students and 10 academics participated for this study. Participants were randomly allocated to either one-to-one interviews or focus groups. All collected data was analysed to highlight common themes between academics and students. The data revealed many inconsistencies in the provision of feedback and highlighted that there is no single factor resulting in student dissatisfaction. Three specific action plans were developed to help address the many contributing factors to students’ dissatisfaction with feedback. These action plans will then aim to have a beneficial influence on the student experience and their learning process.

Keywords: Feedback; Higher Education; Grounded Theory.

DOI: 10.7176/JEP/12-30-04

Publication date:October 31^st 2021