Feedback on Student Work Builds Relationships

The Qualities of Feedback Affect Student Performance

Aug 20, 2009

Closely related to the types of feedback, the qualities of feedback can affect student achievement. Qualities that build relationships are more likely to be useful.

Just as there are different types of feedback teachers can provide to students, feedback may also exhibit different qualities. These qualities may determine how receptive students are to the feedback and the degree of usefulness of the information provided.

Feedback and Teacher-Student Relationships

Students are more likely to respond to feedback that is offered in a way that builds on the trust between the student and teacher. Thus, there are three qualities of feedback that help build on trust. When students believe their teachers share a belief in their abilities and talents, they are more likely to use the feedback to improve their performance. Feedback that builds relationships identifies the positive aspects of the student’s work. It tends to explain rather than simply label, and it is compassionate.

Positive Feedback

Students typically make a sincere effort to learn what they are expected to learn and what their teachers ask of them. Thus, feedback that only points out errors or inaccuracies is not as likely to build trust or emphasize that the teacher has the student’s best interests in mind. The notion of positive feedback is also closely linked with that of providing affirmations. Though students may be attempting to do high-quality work, they are not always sure they are on the right path. Thus, positive feedback in the form of an affirmation boosts student performance by assuring that the work is proceeding in an acceptable direction.

Explains Rather Than Labels

Students recognize labels and know that labels are not always helpful information. Students tend to value interactions with their instructors (e.g., Wolsey, 2008), and explanations provide information students can use while promoting interaction. By contrast, a label tends to be quick and provides only generalized information. Explanations fit several different types such as clarifications, observations, explorations, or affirmations. A label might be implied when a student’s work is posted on a bulletin board without explanatory criteria or it might be explicit when a teacher tells a student that work “needs improvement.” On the other hand, an explanation might highlight a positive aspect of the work while accelerating performance by offering a question. An explanation might sound like this:

“Vinny, I noticed that you have identified several categories of data from your science experiment based on the results you show here [pointing to table – positive feedback]. I wondered why you chose a standard bar graph instead of a histogram. We know that histograms are particularly useful when we can group scores by classes [explanation]. What source might help us decide which is best for this data [a question that prompts further exploration]? “

Feedback is Compassionate

When teachers assume that student work is a sincere effort to learn and do well in the class and on the task, corrections and clarifications can be difficult. Compassionate correction is often coupled with positive feedback and assumes that the student wanted to do well on the task. It often acknowledges that the task is challenging. A teacher might point out a positive aspect of a student’s work. A compassionate response may ask a question rather than point out an error directly. For example, when a student is about to introduce baking powder into a model volcano instead of baking soda, the teacher might provide feedback, “Sometimes I can’t remember the difference between baking powder and baking soda. Where can I look up definitions that explain the difference?”

Because students are most likely to attend to feedback that is presented in a respectful way and recognizes that the student wants to learn, teachers can build positive student-teacher relationships that enhance learning.

Land, R. "Making paper marking matter." In C.B. Olson (Ed.), Practical ideas for teaching writing as a process at the high school and college levels (pp. 290-293). Sacramento, CA:California Department of Education, 1997.

Wolsey, T. D. "Efficacy of instructor feedback in an online graduate program." International Journal on eLearning, vol. 7(2), pp. 311-329, 2008.

The copyright of the article Feedback on Student Work Builds Relationships in Teaching Strategies/Mentorship is owned by Tom Wolsey. Permission to republish Feedback on Student Work Builds Relationships in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.