Quality of feedback
Pupils develop self-awareness
Essential experiences include opportunities to receive regular feedback about progress. This includes support and guidance that helps young people develop a growing awareness of themselves as learners, and provides opportunities for them to reflect and act upon their strengths and development needs.
The importance of feedback
Marks and grading do not help children move on in their learning. However, research has revealed that good-quality feedback/comments result in significant improvement. Good-quality feedback should recognise what has been done well, and provide information on what pupils need to do to improve. Feedback should always relate to the learning intention and should bridge the gap between present performance and desired goal.
Teachers need to give pupils constructive feedback about the particular qualities of their work, with advice on what they need do to improve. To be effective, feedback should cause thinking to take place. It should focus on:
- what has been done well
- what needs to be improved
- what follow-up work is identified to bridge the gap.
Extracts from Rosemary Delaney’s PowerPoint presentation on the importance of feedback offers sound advice to teachers.
Practical ways to give good-quality feedback
2 Stars and a Wish
Teachers and pupils can comment on two things which the pupil has done well in terms of meeting the learning intention and something which still needs improvement. Read these documents for a comparison:
Comments only
Feedback that focuses on what needs to be done, coupled with advice on how to go about it, encourages all pupils to believe that they can improve. By giving comments only, you will find that pupils engage more productively in improving their work. In her book 'Self Theories: Their Role in Motivation, Personality and Development' (1999), Carol Dweck provides conclusive evidence that intelligence is not fixed and that all pupils are capable of improving IF they receive the feedback they need and the encouragement to persist.
Feedback should be restricted to the most immediate learning intention and next steps should relate to any weaknesses. Pupils should not be asked to focus on too many points within a single piece of work.
Contributions from Gillian Tinning, Belmont Academy; Liz Scott, Scottish CILT; Myra Young, SEED