Feedback Quality and Learning Gains 

Feedback is information students can use to move their learning forward. It is most

powerful when it is timely, specific, and focused on what students should do next- not

just on what they did wrong. 

Why this matters 

•         Feedback is one of the most powerful influences on learning - but only when it is high quality and used by students. 

•         Meta-analytic research shows that feedback can produce substantial gains in achievement when it is timely, clear, and focused on the task and process. 

What it is 

•         Effective feedback tells students: (1) the goal, (2) where they are now, and (3) what to do next. 

•         Feedback works best when it is about the task or strategy (for example, “Try organizing your ideas like this”) rather than about the person (for example, “You’re smart”).

Key classroom moves 

•         Plan when and how you will give feedback (whole class, small-group, individual) so it arrives when students can still act on it. 

•         Use clear success criteria or rubrics so feedback can be specific (for example, “You met criteria 1 and 2; now work on 3”). 

•         Limit the amount of feedback to a few high leverage points students can realistically revise. 

•         Build in time during class for students to revise work, correct errors, or apply feedback to a new problem. 

•         Teach students how to give and receive peer feedback using checklists or sentence stems.  

Implications by grade 

Grades K - 2

•         Use immediate, simple feedback during guided practice (for example, thumbs up, quick corrections, “Try it this way”).

•         Focus feedback on one or two key ideas at a time (for example, starting sentences with capital letters). 

Grades 3– 5

•         Use whole class feedback after reviewing student work, then provide a short task where students immediately fix or apply it. 

•         Introduce structured peer feedback (for example, “Two stars and a wish”) on writing and projects. 

Grades 6– 8

•         Use exit tickets and quizzes to identify common errors and plan brief re-teaching and practice. 

•         Teach students to review feedback comments and set a small goal for the next assignment. 

Grades 9– 12

•         Provide feedback on drafts and problem sets that students can revise before final grading. 

•         Encourage students to request specific feedback (for example, on thesis statements, reasoning, or use of evidence). 

References 

Wisniewski, B., Zierer, K., & Hattie, J. (2020). The power of feedback revisited: A meta-

analysis of educational feedback research. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 3087. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.03087