LANGUAGE IN INDIA

Strength for Today and Bright Hope for Tomorrow

Volume 13:5 May 2013
ISSN 1930-2940

Managing Editor: M. S. Thirumalai, Ph.D.
Editors: B. Mallikarjun, Ph.D.
         Sam Mohanlal, Ph.D.
         B. A. Sharada, Ph.D.
         A. R. Fatihi, Ph.D.
         Lakhan Gusain, Ph.D.
         Jennifer Marie Bayer, Ph.D.
         S. M. Ravichandran, Ph.D.
         G. Baskaran, Ph.D.
         L. Ramamoorthy, Ph.D.
Assistant Managing Editor: Swarna Thirumalai, M.A.

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Examining Subject Teachers’ Feedback on Written Work

Meenakshi Barad Sirigiri, M.A., PGCTE, M.Phil., Ph.D.

Abstract

Feedback is widely seen as crucial for both encouraging and consolidating learning. Little research has been undertaken to investigate Subject teachers’ actual use of feedback in the classroom. Its complexity and its entwined relationship with teaching, learning and assessment suggest the notion that such feedback should be explored further.

This study examines the feedback practices of two teachers of each of the following subjects: Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry. It was conducted in an engineering college in Hyderabad, India, where the researcher was teaching English. The samples that were used were the written assignments submitted by students. A total of 306 feedback comments were analyzed.

Results showed that about 30% of the feedback consisted of ticks or crosses. The remaining 28% of feedback was in the form of questions, 26% was in the form of statements and 16% was in the form of imperatives. It was found that feedback in the form of imperatives were more influential on revisions. The assignments in which crosses were marked were acted upon to a large extent and corrections were made. Wherever feasible oral face-to-face feedback should be given as this will enable students to become self-evaluative. Students must not be allowed to fall back on the rationalization that only English teachers are judges of grammar and style. Especially for engineering students errors in grammar and mechanics can be seen by employers as symptomatic of a less than professional level of education. Therefore it is suggested that teacher training courses for subject teachers include training on feedback techniques.

Introduction

In most subject teachers’ feedback, knowledge of the subject matter and pedagogical content are mitigating factors. These are critical factors in teaching. For many students the quality of the feedback they receive on their assignments is a measure of the quality of teaching by the lecturer.

This is only the beginning part of the article. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE ARTICLE IN PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION.

Dr. Meenakshi Barad Sirigiri, M.A., PGCTE, M.Phil., Ph.D. (ELE)
Associate Professor and Head
Department of Humanities and Sciences
Aurora’s Scientific Technological Research Academy
Bandlaguda
Hyderabad 500 005
Andhra Pradesh
India
meeenbs@gmail.com
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