Students’ perceptions and experiences of a feedback design to remove barriers of giving, receiving and seeking feedback

Although studies continuously indicate that students encounter barriers to give, receive and seek feedback, limited instructional feedback design has been developed to remove these barriers. This exploratory study aimed to fill this research gap from the student perspective. The design comprises two sessions: (1) exemplar-based group discussion and the teacher’s follow-up feedback and (2) personalised consultation with students about their individual outline of an assessed English writing assignment. Data collection and analysis were conducted through a questionnaire survey, classroom observations, semi-structured interviews and reflective journals. Out of 56 students, 34 completed and returned the questionnaire survey while 10 participants attended interviews and submitted reflective journals. The findings indicate that the design removed most of the students’ barriers by providing appropriate feedback practices, contextual affordances, and enhancing individual capacity. The group discussions, trial grading process and the teacher’s follow-up explanation increased reciprocal feedback giving and receiving. These practices closed the gaps between the teacher and students’ decisions on grade allocation of the exemplars and strengthened students' evaluative judgement. The personalised face-to-face teacher-student discussion facilitated feedback receiving and seeking. It also addressed students’ concerns and awakened them to the content of the assignment, writing structure and the use of language.