Feedback is one of the most powerful tools we have to support learning. But do students actually read the feedback you give them? And beyond that, do they understand, value, and actually act upon it to improve themselves?
Luckily enough, a recent large-scale study shed light on how students really engage with feedback. Read on to explore:
- How students act upon
- What this means for giving feedback in the classroom
What the research found about students use of feedback
In a study of over 900 students researchers investigated how students interacted with feedback on a writing task. Students received feedback based on success criteria and were asked to revise their work accordingly.
The researchers found that the majority of students did not benefit from the feedback they were given. Specifically, 20% of students didn’t revise their work at all after receiving feedback, and another 47% made revisions but those changes did not lead to improvement. Only about one-third of students both acted on the feedback and improved their writing.
These findings highlight a significant issue: giving feedback doesn’t guarantee it will be used. Why did only some students benefit from feedback while others didn’t? The study identified three key factors that predicted successful engagement:
- Cognitive ability – students with higher general reasoning skills and stronger prior performance were more likely to use feedback effectively
- Motivation – students who valued the task and perceived the feedback as useful were more likely to engage and improve
- Gender – girls were more likely to engage with and benefit from feedback compared to their male peers
These factors suggest that individual learner characteristics play a role in whether feedback leads to real progress. Simply giving feedback isn’t enough. To make it meaningful, we need to tailor it so it meets students where they are and helps move them forward.
What does this mean for the classroom?
So, what do we do with the fact that most students don’t use feedback effectively? It doesn’t mean you stop giving it but rather rethink how to deliver it. Here are a few strategies for providing more effective feedback that encourages students to use it:
1. Check for understanding – before, during and after feedback
Before students can act on feedback, they need to understand it. Regularly checking for understanding helps identify learning gaps and misconceptions, allowing you to tailor your feedback accordingly.
This is where adaptive feedback comes in: some students may need more support, others more challenge, but all should be held to high expectations. If a student is struggling, they may need additional scaffolding. If they’re showing strong understanding, feedback can be used to extend their thinking. Matching the level of challenge makes feedback meaningful and targeted for every learner.
2. Be specific
Vague comments like “good work” or “needs improvement” are easy to give but easy to ignore. Students can’t improve if they don’t know exactly what they did well or what needs to change.
What matters most is the type of feedback you give and how you deliver it. Anchor your comments in clear, observable actions. Instead of “needs more detail,” try something like “add an example here to support your point.” This level of clarity helps students take purposeful next steps. For more guidance on how to make feedback more effective and actionable, check out our blog on three essential feedback questions.
3. Use feedback dialogues, not monologues
Feedback works best when it’s a conversation rather than a one-way comment. Giving students space to reflect on, respond to and ask questions about feedback increases the chances that they’ll understand and apply it.
This is because students are encouraged to consider how they approached a task and why they made certain choices – an important step in developing Metacognition. Students often struggle to accurately judge what helps them learn, so strengthening their metacognitive skills can lead them to become more effective, self-aware learners who can apply feedback more effectively in the future.
Final thoughts
So, do students actually read your feedback? Sometimes, but reading it through is only the first step. For feedback to have real impact, students need to understand it, reflect on it and ultimately use it properly. That means feedback isn’t just something we give; it’s something students need to make use of. By making feedback clear, actionable and effective, you can help them do that.
