Student Feedback That Works: Action Research Findings
When Elizabeth Blamire started questioning whether her hours of detailed marking were actually helping her students, she decided to ask them directly. What she discovered through her systematic action research project challenges common assumptions about how students engage with teacher feedback.
Working with BTEC students across four cohorts, Blamire embarked on a two-cycle research journey that would fundamentally change her marking approach. Her initial survey of 20 students revealed surprising insights about how learners actually interact with feedback—insights that contradict many educators' beliefs about student engagement with assessment comments.
The research uncovered a fascinating disconnect: while 80% of students spent 5-20 minutes reading feedback (matching the time Blamire spent writing it), their priorities were starkly different from what teachers might expect. Students' primary concern wasn't always improvement—it was understanding whether they'd passed or failed.
Perhaps most revealing was the discovery that 40% of students didn't understand common marking abbreviations, despite these shortcuts being intended to save time. When given the choice, an overwhelming 80% preferred longer, explanatory comments over brief annotations. This finding alone prompted significant changes to Blamire's marking strategy.
The action research methodology proved its worth when Blamire implemented changes based on her initial findings. She introduced 'What Went Well' and 'Even Better If' sections, eliminated confusing abbreviations, and restructured her feedback format. The second survey cycle showed these modifications were overwhelmingly successful, with 100% of students finding the new approach helpful.
What makes this study particularly valuable is its focus on the often-overlooked further education sector, where research on student feedback perceptions remains limited. Unlike university-level studies, this research addresses the unique challenges of BTEC assessment, where teachers must balance comprehensive feedback with regulatory requirements about not being overly directive.
Blamire's honest reflection on her process—including acknowledging survey fatigue and response rate challenges—provides practical insights for educators considering similar research. Her findings offer concrete evidence that small, student-informed changes to marking practice can significantly improve the feedback experience without increasing workload.
This research demonstrates that the most effective feedback improvements often come from simply asking students what actually works for them.