Identifying Barriers to Effective Feedback in Higher Education Classrooms
Keywords:
feedback practices, higher education, qualitative research, feedback literacy, instructional communication, formative assessment, student engagementAbstract
The objective of this study was to explore and identify the key barriers that hinder the effectiveness of feedback practices in higher education classrooms from the perspectives of both instructors and students. This qualitative study was conducted using a phenomenological approach to gain an in-depth understanding of the lived experiences of instructors and students regarding feedback in academic settings. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 29 participants (15 instructors and 14 students) from universities in Tehran. Purposive sampling was used to ensure diverse representation across disciplines and experience levels. Interviews continued until theoretical saturation was reached. All interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using thematic coding with the assistance of NVivo software. The analysis process included open, axial, and selective coding to develop core themes and subthemes. Thematic analysis revealed five major categories of barriers: (1) Instructor-Related Barriers (e.g., lack of feedback training, time constraints, fear of negative evaluation); (2) Student-Related Barriers (e.g., feedback avoidance, low feedback literacy, lack of trust); (3) Institutional Barriers (e.g., absence of policy support, overcrowded classrooms, technological limitations); (4) Communication Gaps (e.g., ambiguous language, one-way communication, cultural misalignment); and (5) Feedback Design and Delivery Issues (e.g., delayed feedback, non-individualized responses, lack of actionable suggestions). Participant quotations illustrated how these interconnected barriers collectively undermine the pedagogical value of feedback. The findings highlight that barriers to effective feedback are systemic, involving individual, relational, and structural dimensions. Addressing these challenges requires a comprehensive approach, including faculty training, institutional policy reform, culturally responsive practices, and efforts to enhance student feedback literacy.
Downloads
References
Bailey, R., & Garner, M. (2010). Is the feedback in higher education assessment worth the paper it is written on? Teachers and Teaching, 16(2), 187–200. https://doi.org/10.1080/13540600903550422
Borup, J., West, R. E., Thomas, R., & Graham, C. R. (2015). The adolescent community of engagement framework: Predicting learner affective engagement in online courses. Distance Education, 36(3), 294–314. https://doi.org/10.1080/01587919.2015.1052327
Boud, D., & Molloy, E. (2013). Feedback in higher and professional education: Understanding it and doing it well. Routledge.
Carless, D. (2006). Differing perceptions in the feedback process. Studies in Higher Education, 31(2), 219–233. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075070600572132
Carless, D., & Boud, D. (2018). The development of student feedback literacy: Enabling uptake of feedback. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 43(8), 1315–1325. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2018.1463354
Evans, C. (2013). Making sense of assessment feedback in higher education. Review of Educational Research, 83(1), 70–120. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654312474350
Gibbs, G., & Simpson, C. (2004). Conditions under which assessment supports students’ learning. Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, 1(1), 3–31.
Handley, K., Price, M., & Millar, J. (2007). Feedback and the development of learner autonomy. In Proceedings of the Higher Education Academy Annual Conference.
Hattie, J., & Timperley, H. (2007). The power of feedback. Review of Educational Research, 77(1), 81–112. https://doi.org/10.3102/003465430298487
Henderson, M., Ryan, T., & Phillips, M. (2019). The challenges of feedback in higher education. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 44(8), 1237–1252. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2019.1599815
Hyland, F., & Hyland, K. (2006). Feedback in second language writing: Contexts and issues. Cambridge University Press.
Jonsson, A. (2013). Facilitating productive use of feedback in higher education. Active Learning in Higher Education, 14(1), 63–76. https://doi.org/10.1177/1469787412467125
Kiany, G. R., Mahdavi, M., & Ghafar Samar, R. (2011). Iranian students’ perceptions of the academic learning environment in higher education. Quality in Higher Education, 17(3), 263–273. https://doi.org/10.1080/13538322.2011.597110
Lipnevich, A. A., & Smith, J. K. (2009). I really needed feedback! The effects of feedback timing and perceived competence on academic performance. Educational Psychology, 29(3), 291–314. https://doi.org/10.1080/01443410903047365
Nicol, D. (2010). From monologue to dialogue: Improving written feedback processes in mass higher education. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 35(5), 501–517. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602931003786559
Nicol, D., & Macfarlane‐Dick, D. (2006). Formative assessment and self‐regulated learning: A model and seven principles of good feedback practice. Studies in Higher Education, 31(2), 199–218. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075070600572090
Orsmond, P., & Merry, S. (2011). Feedback alignment: Effective and ineffective links between tutors’ and students’ understanding of coursework feedback. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 36(2), 125–136. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602930903201651
Ryan, T., & Henderson, M. (2018). Feeling feedback: Students’ emotional responses to educator feedback. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 43(6), 880–892. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2017.1416456
Sadler, D. R. (1989). Formative assessment and the design of instructional systems. Instructional Science, 18(2), 119–144. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00117714
Shute, V. J. (2008). Focus on formative feedback. Review of Educational Research, 78(1), 153–189. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654307313795
Sutton, P. (2012). Conceptualizing feedback literacy: Knowing, being, and acting. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 49(1), 31–40. https://doi.org/10.1080/14703297.2012.647781
Torrance, H. (2012). Formative assessment at the crossroads: Conformative, deformative, and transformative assessment. Oxford Review of Education, 38(3), 323–342. https://doi.org/10.1080/03054985.2012.689693
Volet, S., & Ang, G. (2012). Culturally mixed groups on international campuses: An opportunity for inter-cultural learning. Higher Education Research & Development, 31(1), 21–37. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2012.642838
Winstone, N. E., Nash, R. A., Parker, M., & Rowntree, J. (2017). Supporting learners’ agentic engagement with feedback: A systematic review and a taxonomy of recipience processes. Educational Psychologist, 52(1), 17–37. https://doi.org/10.1080/00461520.2016.1207538
Downloads
Published
Submitted
Revised
Accepted
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
