Evolution of feedback ecology reshaping students conceptions and practices in feedback literacy

The impact of evolving feedback ecology on students’ feedback literacy
development remains underexplored. This study examined the effects of
transitioning from secondary to higher education on students’ concep-
tions and practices of feedback literacy. The research involved 35 first-year
associate’s degree students from various disciplines at a Hong Kong
higher education institution. Through semi-structured interviews and
reflective journals, changes and continuities in students’ feedback literacy
were explored, alongside the critical ecological factors influencing these
transformations. Three types of feedback literacy emerged – passive, bidi-
rectional and self-regulated – representing varying degrees of student
autonomy and teacher involvement in the feedback process. The study
also identified contextual factors (e.g. continuous assessments, teacher–
student consultation sessions, alternative communication and group
dynamics) and individual factors that influenced students’ feedback prac-
tices. The implications of these findings for cultivating conducive feed-
back ecology and enhancing student feedback literacy are discussed.