Teachers' classroom feedback: still trying to get it right

Abstract

This article examines feedback traditionally given by teachers in schools. Such feedback tends to focus on children's acquisition and retrieval of externally prescribed knowledge which is then assessed against mandated tests. It suggests that, from a sociocultural learning perspective, feedback directed towards such objectives may limit children's social development. In this article, I draw on observation and interview data gathered from a group of 27 9- to 10-year olds in a UK primary school. These data illustrate the children's perceived need to conform to, rather than negotiate, the teacher's feedback comments. They highlight the children's sense that the teacher's feedback relates to school learning but not to their own interests. The article also includes alternative examples of feedback which draw on children's own inquiries and which relate to the social contexts within which, and for whom, they act. It concludes by suggesting that instead of looking for the right answer to the question of what makes teachers' feedback effective in our current classrooms, a more productive question might be how a negotiation can be opened up among teachers and learners themselves, about how teachers' feedback could support children's learning most appropriately.

Keywords:

• feedback
• sociocultural perspectives
• assessment for learning

Acknowledgements

I am grateful to Mrs K and Year 5 children with whom this research was carried out. I also acknowledge the very helpful comments of three anonymous reviewers who clearly put substantial time and effort into making suggestions for improvements to this article. I am indebted to Tamara Bibby, Jenny Houssart, David Scott and Adam Lefstein too for their constructive feedback on an earlier version of this article, and to David Halpin who gave me great support at the final stages.