Poster #70 - Effects of Feedback on Academic Performance, Metacognition, and Motivation in High School Students

• In Event: 1-005 - Poster Session 01
  In Poster Session: PS 01 Section - Education, Schooling

Integrative Statement

Numerous studies have established that feedback is among the most effective ways to improve learning and achievement (Hattie & Timperley, 2007). Self-regulated learning, which includes cognitive, metacognitive, and motivational components, hinges on feedback (Butler & Winne, 1995). This study investigated the effects of a feedback intervention on student academic performance, metacognition, and motivation. The students in the study came from two sections of a high school world history class at an inter-district magnet school in Hartford, Connecticut. All feedback was provided by the same teacher over the course of a 4-week instructional unit. Students in the Enhanced Feedback condition (n = 28) received elaborated written comments detailing strengths in their work and one specific area for improvement, but grades were withheld until the end of the instructional unit, whereas students in the Standard Feedback condition (n = 27) were given brief written comments about their work and grades after each assignment in the instructional unit. The effectiveness of the feedback intervention was assessed by having students take a knowledge-based test before and after the intervention. Metacognition and motivational variables (self-efficacy, achievement values, test anxiety, extrinsic and intrinsic goal orientation, and control of learning beliefs) were also assessed at both time points. Repeated-measures ANOVAs were used to test effects. As predicted, students in the Enhanced Feedback condition showed greater learning gains than did students in the Standard Feedback condition (see Figure 1). While the feedback intervention did improve student learning, at this juncture it is not clear which component of the feedback intervention—differences in grading practices or quality of written comments—produced the effect. Students given Enhanced Feedback showed a decrease in extrinsic goal orientation from pre-test to post-test, whereas students given Standard Feedback remained relatively unchanged (see Table 1). It is plausible that withholding grades led students who received Enhanced Feedback to place less importance on their grades. All students started out with similar control of learning beliefs. From pre-test to post-test, students given Enhanced Feedback declined in their beliefs about their control of learning, whereas students given Standard Feedback increased (see Table 1). Given that grades are ubiquitous in the educational experience of students, withholding grades may have led students who received Enhanced Feedback to believe that they had less control over their learning in the classroom. The feedback intervention did not produce an effect on metacognition (see Table 1). Because the feedback intervention did not specifically focus on metacognitive skills, it is perhaps understandable that students’ metacognition did not improve. Overall, this field study shows the importance of feedback in improving student learning.

Authors

• Daisuke Katsumata, Trinity College
  Presenting Author

• Dina Anselmi, Trinity College
  Non-Presenting Author

• Deb Avery, Hartford Magnet Trinity College Academy
  Non-Presenting Author

• David A. Reuman, Trinity College
  Non-Presenting Author