A Systematic Review of Children’s Learning From Feedback: The Role of Individual Learner Characteristics

• In Event: Beyond One-Size-Fits-All: Individual Differences in Feedback Perceptions, Use, and Effectiveness

Abstract

Objectives
Feedback can be a powerful learning tool that can depend on individual learner characteristics (Wisniewski et al., 2020). Few reviews focus specifically on how feedback functions in childhood. To fill this gap, we conducted a systematic review of the literature to identify evaluations of feedback for children’s learning, and to clarify the role of individual learner differences on effective feedback in childhood.
Theoretical Framework
We focus on corrective feedback that includes in-the-moment information about a specific response to a task. To consider how this feedback functions, we rely on a prominent Five-Stage Theory (see Figure 1; Bangert-Drowns et al., 1991). Stage 1 is the learner’s initial state, which includes prior knowledge and interest. In Stage 2 the learner processes the question and Stage 3 is their response. Then feedback is provided and the learner evaluates their response in light of the feedback in Stage 4, and Stage 5 represents adjustments to their knowledge and interests. Critically, this model suggests that feedback processing (Stages 2-5) depends on differences in the learner’s initial state (Stage 1).
Methods
We used the PRISMA model of systematic review. We searched three databases (ERIC, PsycINFO, Web of Science) for articles published between 1990 and 2022 that compared the effects of feedback and no-feedback in children ages 3 to 11, with an outcome measure in literacy, math, or problem-solving. The search initially produced 1,658 unique entries, and a reliable screening process resulted in a set of 44 journal articles that met these criteria.
Data Sources
For each article, two researchers reliably extracted information about the sample, research context, and feedback features. We examined whether the authors measured individual learner differences (e.g., prior knowledge, working memory), and whether they were examined as potential moderators of feedback effects.
Results
The 44 papers focused on how feedback influenced ongoing performance on the training task or on an immediate posttest. Feedback features varied, but it was common for the feedback to include a right/wrong judgment (85% of papers) and the correct answer (67% of papers) and to be given immediately after each item (87% of papers). More than half the papers (25/44) measured at least one individual difference as a potential moderator. Many focused on children’s prior knowledge/experience (n=23), and others included gender (n=6), working memory (n=3), and confidence (n=2). In 17 of the 25 papers, researchers found evidence that learning from feedback depended on child characteristics. In the papers that considered prior knowledge, it was common (70% of papers) for children with low prior knowledge to benefit more from feedback relative to children with high prior knowledge.
Significance
Our review suggests that learner characteristics can be as, if not more, important than features of the feedback itself for influencing children’s academic outcomes. A large portion of papers demonstrated moderating effects, especially with prior knowledge. However, in 30 years, only 25 papers examined the moderating role of individual differences systematically, and many learner characteristics that are hypothesized to matter (e.g., interest, self-efficacy) were not considered.

Authors

• Emily R. Fyfe, Indiana University

• Giulia A. Borriello, Kent State University

• Megan Merrick, Indiana University