Teacher feedback is powerful only when it is valued and used by students to enhance learning: Assessing Chinese students’ feedback orientation towards teacher feedback

Among over one hundred influences relating to student achievement, feedback was found as a powerful influence with a desirable effect size of .79 based on 196 independent studies with over six thousand effect sizes (Hattie, 1999; Hattie & Timperley, 2007). In an updated synthesis study, Hattie (2017) found the stable effect size of feedback (d = .70) in association with student achievement based on 1400 meta-analyses of over 80,000 independent studies. However, feedback researchers also argued although feedback is powerful, it is also variable (e.g., Hattie, 2018; Shute, 2008; Yang et al., 2014). Only when students are able to convert external feedback from teachers to learning opportunities by valuing and using feedback, would feedback be effective in engaging student in learning for further improvements ( Yang & Yang, 2018; Yang, in-press). Based on the Ecological Feedback Model (Yang et al., 2014), this study examined the multidimensionality of students’ feedback orientation, namely, perceived usefulness of feedback (FBUT), self-efficacy of using feedback(FBSE), accountability for using feedback(FBAT), and social-awareness of using feedback(FBSO) to maintain and enhance student-teacher relationships. 1349 Chinese secondary students participated in this study. The results supported the four-factor solution fits the data best as compared to other competing CFA models. In addition, this study also explored the relationships of the four dimensions of feedback orientation based on a control-value approach. The results showed students’ accountability/responsibility for using teacher feedback was predicted by their perceived academic value (FBUT) and social value (FBSO) and capability (FBSE) of using teacher feedback to enhance learning. Furthermore, indirect effects of FBSE on FBAT through both FBUT and FBSO were also identified. Theoretical and practical implications to research on harnessing the power of feedback to maximize student learning are discussed. Copyright © 2021 PHC.