Teacher and student perceptions of oral classroom feedback practices: a video-stimulated recall study

Although feedback has long been recognised as critical to student learning, its potential is often not realised in classroom practice. One factor affecting feedback effectiveness is the discrepancy between how feedback is intended by the provider, and how it is perceived by the recipient. This study examined the nature of teacher and student perceptions of oral classroom feedback. Initial data were gathered using video-recorded classroom observations. Recorded videos were used in individual video-stimulated recall (VSR) interviews and semi-structured interviews with two teachers and five of their Year 8 students in one English and one mathematics class. VSR data were coded and analysed using a purposefully developed scheme. Although some overlap was identified, analysis revealed substantial differences in feedback perceptions of teachers and students, as well as between students. Overall, teachers identified more feedback instances than students, implying that much of their feedback was not recognised by students. In other instances, feedback was not perceived by students as intended by the teacher. Although most students recognised the ‘helping’ function of feedback, their commentary often reflected the notion of feedback as a corrective tool. The results suggest that students’ historic views of their role in feedback processes strongly influenced their feedback perceptions.