Social and Cultural Foundations of American Education/Second Edition/19.3.1
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[edit] Feedback Skills
Written by Katherine Tekamp
[edit] Introduction
Imagine that you are a teacher in a Kindergarten classroom. You have asked your class to draw their favorite animal. A little girl raises her hand and politely asks you what you think of her drawing. You take a look at it and say "Why Claire, that is a beautiful drawing." You have just given Claire a form of feedback. Feedback is detrimental to a child's learning experience. Whether it be negative or positive, how a teacher communicates to a child about his or her work will make a lasting effect on them.
| "A child's concept of self is based on the mirror we hold up to her-the words we use, the actions we model." -Nancy Samalin (How to be your Child's Best Critic, 2007). |
[edit] So What Exactly is Feedback?
When you hear the word feedback, do you automatically think about the horrible sound a microphone makes when it gets too close to a speaker? This is in fact feedback, but in a different sense than what this article is referring to. Feedback, according to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, is "the transmission of evaluative or corrective information about an action, event, or process to the original or controlling source." In other words, feedback is how information is relayed back to a person regarding their work or performance. It can be critical or positive. Feedback may serve a variety of purposes. First of all, it may encourage or discourage certain behavior. Secondly, it may help the individual see the effect they have on others, as well as teach them more about themselves. Finally, it may give the person more insight on how to perform certain tasks differently (www.orgdct.com). No matter what purpose the feedback serves, it should be delivered in a manner that will be both effective and helpful. There are three different ways to deliver feedback to young students.
[edit] Different Types of Feedback
The first form of feedback is used to correct a mistake and is needed instantaneously. This particular method is known as corrective feedback, and usually involves providing the student with the right answer. Correcting the student should be done in a direct but positive manner that does not leave the child feeling inadequate. The second form is known as instructional feedback. Instructional feedback is very specific and is meant to provide the student with new information. When taking this approach, one must be both positive and patient while the student learns the new skill that he or she has not mastered yet. The final form is used to evaluate the student's performance. Evaluative feedback is behavior specific and to the point. It may be either positive or negative. It is important because it gives the student insight into how they interact socially (Department of Special Education at University of Texas at Austin). No matter what type of feedback is being used, it should be delivered in a positive and reinforcing manner. Any feedback that is delivered negatively may cause the student to feel unmotivated and unqualified. So what exactly is positive feedback and how is it delivered? Read on.
[edit] Positive Feedback and why it is Important
According to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, positive feedback is "feedback that tends to magnify a process or increase its output." In other words, positive feedback normally yields better results. Think about it: is a child more likely to perform better if he is being encouraged, or if he is being put down? The answer is fairly obvious. A child that is made to feel inferior is less likely to be motivated to perform better. If a child feels that he is not good enough, he in turn feels that no matter what he does he will not succeed, so why bother? Positive reinforcement helps the child see that he has the potential to do better, and will do better, if he applies certain knowledge or skills. A study, entitled "The Effects of Alternate Forms of Performance Feedback on Elementary-Aged Students' Oral Reading Fluency", was done to prove this very fact. In this study, two different kinds of feedback were used. The first, called "performance feedback on words read correctly (PFWC)," where the children were given positive feedback,yielded far better results in the six elementary-aged students. The children had far "higher levels of oral reading fluency" and "lower levels of oral reading errors." The other form of feedback, called "performance feedback on words read incorrectly (PFWI)," yielded the exact opposite results. The children did not read as well and made more mistakes when they were not given positive feedback (www.eric.ed.gov 1). This study just goes to show that children respond far better if encouraged, and are more likely to succeed under the influence of positive feedback.
[edit] How to Avoid Criticism
Positive feedback is the way to go, but how does one correct or reprimand a child without sounding critical and negative? There are three techniques to keep in mind when communicating with a child. The first is to think of what you say before you say it. It is important to keep in mind that children are very sensitive, and though something may sound alright in the mind of an adult, to a child it may sound harsh. Make sure that whatever is said has a positive note to it so that the child does not take it the wrong way (Marshall 1). The second technique is to be constructive. If there is a trend in a child's behavior, such as disobedience or laziness, it needs to be discussed, but without the child being made to feel bad. It is important to keep in mind to "talk about the child's behavior, not the child himself" (Marshall 2). That way the child does not feel like he's being labeled. The final technique is communication. If bad behavior is repeatedly taking place, sit the child down and calmly discuss the problem. Do not do so while angry. If the child has done something upsetting, cool down before talking to him. Something else that is very important to remember is the "power of praise." If the child's behavior begins to improve, point it out! Be careful to acknowledge not only bad behavior, but good behavior as well! (Marshall 2).
[edit] Different Types of Feedback and the Effects on Students by Cynthia Grunloh
According to a psychology paper written by Cynthia Grunloh, when giving feedback, teachers need to keep in mind self-efficacy. By making people believe that what they did was not good in comparison to others the students self-efficacy and future performance will be lowered. Students can feel incompetent or competent depending on the type of feedback the student has received. With better feedback the student will have a higher self-efficacy and higher aspirations for future achievements. Teachers can build self-efficacy levels by giving students good feedback rather than bad. One of the greatest inhibitions for creative thinking is the fear of being wrong, by teacher’s giving non-judgmental feedback students will have higher creativity and willingness to learn. Student teacher conferences are another form of feedback. In the conferences the teacher and student meet to form contracts on how the student and teacher can better help each other. They set goals and receive feedback on what they have accomplished.
[edit] Conclusion
Feedback is very important, but only if it is done in the right way. One must be encouraging and positive while correcting a child, whether it be in their course work or behavior. Make sure that a child's good behavior is pointed out as well, not just the bad behavior. Children need to be encouraged, and it is the job of the teacher to do so. Positivity breeds more results than negativity, so when dealing with children it is essential to keep an upbeat attitude!
[edit] References:
Department of Special Education at University of Texas at Austin. (2003). Types and Purposes of Feedback. Retrieved February 9, 2007 from [1].
Eckert, Tanya L., Dunn, Erin K., Ardoin, Scott P. (2006 September). The Effects of Alternate Forms of Performance Feedback on Elementary-Aged Students' Oral Reading Fluency. Retrieved February 8, 2007 from [www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/Home.portal?_nfpb]
Gallagher, Robert A. (1989, 1999). Feedback Skills. Retrieved February 5, 2007 from [2].
Grunloh, Cynthia. "Resume." Different Types of Feedback and the Effects on Students . Educational Psychology 211. 3 Apr 2007 <http://students.ed.uiuc.edu/cgrunloh/EDPSFEED.htm>.
Marshall, Melinda. (1998-2007). How to be your Child's Best Critic. Retrieved January 30, 2007 from [3].
Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. Retrieved February 5, 2007 from [4].
[edit] Essay Question and Example Answer
Imagine you are a teacher in a first grade classroom. Your students have handed in a math assignment and you notice that one particular student is struggling with the material. You are concerned as he seems to be the only child that does not seem to grasp the material. How do you handle the situation?
The first thing to remember while handling a situation like this is that positivity is key! Go over in your head different questions you can ask him to figure out why he may not be understanding the material, and then share some encouraging words with him. Once you have figured out what you are going to say, pull him aside and tell him you would like to speak with him about something for a few minutes. Be careful not to single him out! Wait until he is alone to speak with him. It is important not to emberass him in front of his peers. Once you are one-on-one with him, tell him you have noticed he has been having a bit of trouble with the math assignment and that you would like to help him because you know he can do better! Whatever you say, make sure it has a positive note to it. Encourage him, and let him know you are on his side! Do some practice problems with him if necessary. Each time he gets one right, make sure to offer plenty of praise to let him know he is on the right track!
Response essay by Jill Smetts
First you should remember that anything you say to your student could affect the way that they respond. If you are positive then the child will most likely be positive, if you are negative then they will most likely be negative. Positive remarks are the key to remember when confronting the child. Think about what you will say to the child before you confront them. See if there is any reason you can think of on why the student would not be doing well. Did you not teach it correctly, are there others struggling with the same information, is it something that I did. Then when you have thought of everything possible about why he/she might not be doing well pull them aside and tell them that you would like to speak with them for a few moments. Make sure the students does not feel like they are being picked on, and make sure that no one can hear what you are saying to him so he does not have other who might get it easier pick on him, you do not want to embarrass him with his friends. Once you have a chance to talk with him explain to him that you see he is having some problems with the assignment and that you would like to help them because you know that they can do it. Make sure when talking to them you sound positive and helpful to the student. Show him how to do it again and then give the student extra problems to make sure they understand it.
[edit] Multiple Choice Questions
1. Feedback is the transmission of _________ or ________ information about an action, event, or process to the original or controlling source. a. evaluative, corrective b. right,wrong c. good, bad d. critical, subjective
2. Which one of these is not one of the three types of feedback? a.corrective b.evaluative c.critical d.instructional
3. A child will perform better if they are given what kind of feedback? a. negative b. instructional c. positive d. subjective
4. Being sensitive to how a child may respond to your comments is an example of which technique? a. thinking about what you say before you say it b. communication c. being constructive d. negative feedback
5. It is often necessary to correct a child, but it is also important to what? a. praise them b. criticize them c. give them negative feedback d. point them out to the rest of the class
6. Can teachers raise students self efficacy? a. true b. false
7. What is one of the greatest inhibitions for creative thinking? a. the fear of being wrong b. the student thinking they are stupid c. the fear of dogs d. music playing
8. Are student/teacher conferences good for both parties involved? a. yes b. no
