For feedback to be effective, pupils need to believe that it is worth listening to. If they don’t trust the source of the feedback, there’s a problem. In Teacher Feedback to improve Pupil Learning, the EEF write:
If pupils do not trust their teacher, they may be unlikely to use the feedback provided. If they do not think their teacher is acting in good faith, they may believe that suggestions for improvement are unfair criticisms and reject them.
What can we do so that pupils don’t shoot the messenger?
Trust the intention – attribute feedback to positive factors
In a series of studies, Yeager et al. (2014) attached a simple note to pupils’ work alongside critical feedback: “I’m giving you these comments because I have very high expectations and I know that you can reach them.” The other group were told: “I’m giving you these comments so that you’ll have feedback on your paper.” Pupils who received the first message were more likely to engage with the feedback and improve their work. The feedback itself didn’t change, but how pupils interpreted the teacher’s intentions did. The effects were particularly strong for African American pupils, especially those with lower levels of trust in school.
The researchers share three principles for what they call ‘wise feedback’:
Critical feedback must be conveyed as a reflection of the teacher’s high standards and not their bias. The student must be assured that he or she has the potential to reach these high standards, lessening the possibility that they are being viewed as limited. Students must also be provided with the resources, such as substantive feedback, to reach the standards demanded of them.
We need to reinforce the intent behind our feedback. We give it because we have high standards and that we genuinely believe that our pupils can reach them.
Trust the message – subject knowledge
The intention behind the message matters, but so does the message. Pupils need to trust that the feedback accurately identifies what needs improving and points them towards a better performance.
One way we can strengthen that trust is through subject knowledge.
Subject knowledge is essential to good feedback. It helps us identify misconceptions and decide on the most useful next step. It helps us prevent many of those misconceptions arising in the first place through better instruction. And it builds credibility. Over time, pupils learn whether the feedback they receive is useful and that the teacher knows what they are doing! When it consistently helps them improve, trust grows in both the message and the expertise of the teacher providing it.
Trust the process – experiences of mastery
Even if pupils trust our intentions and our expertise, there is still another hurdle. They need to believe that acting on feedback will help them improve.
Pupils build confidence in the feedback process through repeated experiences of success. Bandura (1994) referred to these as mastery experiences and argued that they are the most powerful source of self-efficacy. Each time pupils act on feedback and achieve a better outcome, they gain evidence that improvement is possible. A stronger second draft, a corrected misconception or a problem that can now be solved all demonstrate that effort and feedback can lead to success. Over time, these experiences strengthen pupils’ belief that acting on feedback is worthwhile.
Ultimately, feedback is filtered through a pupil’s internal voice:
Are you trying to help me? Do you know how to help me? Will this make a difference?
Effective teacher feedback depends on three forms of trust: trust in the teacher’s intentions, trust in the accuracy of the feedback and trust that acting on feedback will improve pupil learning. When pupils can answer “yes” to those questions, feedback is much more likely to be acted upon.
Bandura, A. (1994). Self-efficacy. In V. S. Ramachandran (Ed.), Encyclopedia of human behavior (Vol. 4, pp. 71 – 81). New York: Academic Press. (Reprinted in H. Friedman [Ed.], Encyclopedia of mental health. San Diego: Academic Press, 1998).
Yeager, D. S., Purdie-Vaughns, V., Garcia, J., Apfel, N., Brzustoski, P., Master, A., Hessert, W. T., Williams, M. E., & Cohen, G. L. (2014). Breaking the cycle of mistrust: wise interventions to provide critical feedback across the racial divide. Journal of experimental psychology. General, 143(2), 804 – 824.
