How do teachers design and do feedback? Development and validation of the teacher feedback literacy scale

Feedback can be powerful for student learning, yet its effects heavily depend on how teachers design and implement meaningful practices. Teacher feedback literacy (TFL) has been recognised as complementary to and crucial for the development of student feedback literacy (SFL). Although TFL is commonly regarded as an improvable capacity, few validated measurement tools exist. This paper therefore documents the development and validation of the Teacher Feedback Literacy Scale, a self-report instrument intended to measure teachers’ design-oriented, enacted feedback practices in higher education. Following multiple iterations and expert review, 57 questions were trialled with 613 higher education teachers worldwide. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA; n = 307) initially yielded a seven-factor solution, while our final 30-item scale comprising five inductively labelled factors (Design for student action on feedback (DSAF); Design and implement peer feedback (DIPF); Develop students’ feedback literacy (DSFL); Design and sequence feedback processes (DSFP); Manage feedback priorities (MFPR)) was supported by confirmatory factor and Rasch analyses (n = 306). This tool offers a robust way for educators, institutions, and researchers to systematically assess TFL and trace its development over time in response to interventions. Copyright © 2026 the Author(s).