Giving effective feedback in Lasswade High School Cluster, Midlothian
Focus and context
Assessment FOR Learning
- Our pupils and staff are given timely feedback about the quality of their work and how to make it better.
- Our pupils and staff are fully involved in deciding next steps in their learning and identifying who can help.
Project summary
The group wanted to develop a consistent and formative approach to feedback in writing across the primary/secondary transition stage. There was an awareness that raising attainment in writing was a priority in the cluster and it was felt that improving feedback to pupils by making it more positive and constructive could benefit this aim.
The group consisted of three high school and five Primary 6/7 teachers. The project aimed to increase pupils’ self-awareness of where they were succeeding and how they could improve. It also wanted to increase pupils’ responsibility for their learning. It was decided to do this by basing focused feedback on learning intentions and success criteria, which were shared with the pupils.
Teachers used different feedback strategies including the use of three green highlights for success and one orange one for improvement, which were firstly modelled for the pupils. ‘Closing the gap’ comments or prompts were also used and the pupils had opportunities for self and peer assessment. Both oral and written feedback were used and there was a mixed response when pupils were asked which they preferred. Some pupils said written feedback allowed them to reread the teachers’ comments and that sometimes oral feedback was hard to remember. Some pupils, especially in the secondary school, had a preference for written feedback as they felt it allowed more privacy. Staff involved found that teaching writing became more enjoyable, structured and purposeful. Their feedback comments were more directed and more likely to be followed up by pupils.
Initially more time was taken up by creating learning intentions and success criteria and marking using the ‘Closing the gap’ strategy, but as time went by staff found that it actually led to a decrease in their marking workload. They learned that it takes time to train children to be receptive to discussing learning and for them to be able to give quality comments in self and peer assessment. They also learned that if discussion about learning intentions and success criteria takes too long children can switch off, and so in future they will speed up discussion of these so that pupils do not lose interest. Comments from pupils involved showed that they preferred this type of feedback and that it benefited not only their sense of self-efficacy but also their self-esteem.
Case study extract
Pupils are more inclined to read the comments written on their work. They are more confident and motivated because:
- they have a better understanding of what they are expected to learn, giving them a framework within which to reflect on their learning and to measure their successes
- they are involved in the process of deciding how to achieve success
- they are given small achievable tasks first, allowing them to practise and develop different skills before completing a piece of extended writing
- they have the opportunity to discuss their work with peers and receive feedback that they can understand and remember
- they receive focused feedback
- their successes are clearly highlighted
- they recognise a need for improvement and know how to achieve this.
Better quality of writing is achieved because now they are more reflective, have the desire to improve, and understand the structures given for success.
Less able children responded well to this style of giving feedback because of the positive nature of comments. More able children were not as keen because now they are being told that there is something they have to improve on rather than being told their work is ‘V.G.’ or ‘excellent’.
Pupils can no longer compare themselves negatively to other pupils because they all have three areas of success and one area to improve highlighted in their work.
Some comments from pupils
‘It is clear and organised and easy to understand.’
‘It helps you to understand about your work.’
‘I like how you have to problem-solve.’
‘I feel happy with myself and excited for the next time that I know how to improve and I can’t wait to have another go.’
Points to consider
The teachers in this group based their feedback on success criteria using strategies such as highlighting for successes and improvement. Would a similar approach be useful in your classroom?
One of the pupils commented that they liked how the ‘Closing the gap’ comment led to ‘problem solving’. Think about the feedback comments that you write on your pupils’ work and how pupils make use of them. To what extent do they encourage this kind of reflection and activity?
Pupils were given opportunities to reflect on their own and one another’s work. To what extent are your pupils involved in this kind of activity?
Date posted October 2006
Contact details
If you would like further information on this case study, please contact the local authority assessment co-ordinator. You can find contact details for each authority area on our local authority co-ordinators' contacts page.