Formative feedback is a continuous and interactive strategy that provides students with specific guidance to improve while learning is still in progress.
\nRather than focusing on grades, it helps students understand what they are doing well, what needs improvement, and how to move forward.
\nThe strategy fosters self-regulation, critical reflection, and awareness of personal progress, making it especially effective in inclusive classrooms.
\nThis feedback can come from various sources and aims to motivate learners, clarify their current position, and guide them toward their learning goals.
\nFurther, it helps teachers adapt their teaching based on the learners' needs. After all, it's intended to be helpful for both parties.
\nAccording to Hattie, to be efficient, feedback requires an activity and a product.
\nEffect size refers to the magnitude of the impact of formative feedback on student learning. It is a measure of how much a student´s performance or understanding improves as a direct result of receiving formative feedback.
\nFormative assessment methods have some of the highest effect sizes found in education. High - quality feedback has more effect on the weakest learners.
\nIn Hattie's study, students receiving feedback of any kind on their work has an effect size of 0.81.
\nIn Marzano's article, giving students feedback on the processes and strategies they were using to complete a specific task has an effect size of 0.74.
\nAccording to John Hattie and Shirley Clarke, feedback can be undertsood as "information about the task that fills a gap between what is understood and what is aimed to be understood".
\nSocioconstructivism: feedback is based on the idea that knowledge is constructed through social interaction. In this sense, feedback activates cognitive and metacognitive processes and becomes a tool for mediating learning.
\nZone of proximal development theory of Vygotsky: feedback can be placed just above the learner´s current level, offering support for progress
\nUniversal Design for Learning (UDL): Feedback should be individualised, clear and understandable for each learner, adapted to their abilities and learning styles.
\nChallenges: it requires time and teacher formation to be effective; it may not be understood or interpreted correctly by learners; if poorly implemented, it can lead to dependency rather than autonomy and, in environments with a high content load or high ratios, it can be difficult to implement in a consistent and personalised way.
\nFour main risks:
\nAlso, if not handled carefully, it can:
\nThe strategy responds to the need for support in executive functioning by helping learners develop self-monitoring and self-regulation skills. It guides students in identifying their mistakes, recognising their achievements and planning the next steps. This again helps foster greater independence and a sense of ownership of the learning process.
\nNext, it also addresses the need for support in communication, social interaction and participation, as it turns assessment into a dialogic and collaborative process. Here, learners are not passive receivers of information but rather active participants in their own development.
\nFurther, it is closely linked to motivational needs. By clarifying expectations and recognising progress, it helps to maintain motivation, engagement and emotional safety in the learning environment.
\nIt also contributes to the creation of inclusive and equitable learning experiences, as it can be personalised to respond to each student´s rhythms, strengths and challenges, including those related to memory, numeracy or socio-emotional development.
\nCommunication and Interaction Strength
\nSome learners with learning difficulties and disabilities often excel at verbal and listening communication and connecting with people. Depending on which form the feedback is given in (verbal, digital, graphic,…) and who gives it, it can be considerably more helpful for the learner's progress.
\nBehavioural Strengths, Learning Strengths
\nSome students may have stronger self-motivational and self-regulational abilities due to their condition and being used to facing and overcoming challenges. This strengthens with formative feedback in that they know what to work on and what they're good at. The former provides a direction to focus their efforts, and in some cases, great imagination and innovative solution skills; the latter supports their inner motivation to reach the intended goal.
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