Teachers’ conceptions of feedback: Results from a national sample of New Zealand teachers

A key step in assessment is responding (i.e., feedback) to interpretations of learner performance. Effective feedback focuses on task, processes, and self-regulation, rather than the self; in other words, it is on a growth pathway rather than a well-being one. Assessment for Learning also argues that feedback should be learning rather than grading-oriented. Teachers’ beliefs about the nature and purpose of feedback may explain how feedback is implemented. A 71 item Teachers’ Conceptions of Feedback inventory was trialled on a nation-wide sample of New Zealand primary and secondary school teachers (N=518). Participants indicated their degree of agreement for each item using a 6-point, positively-packed rating scale. Exploratory factor analysis (MLE, oblimin rotation) retained 48 items in 10 factors. These were tested with CFA in an inter-correlated model, with acceptable fit. Teachers endorsed most highly learning-oriented feedback and rejected grading-oriented factors. These data suggest that that New Zealand teachers’ espoused conceptions of feedback lay predominantly on a growth pathway, rather than a well-being pathway. Copyright © 2010 The Authors.