In search of learning-focused feedback practices: a linguistic analysis of higher education feedback policy

Abstract Feedback can have one of the biggest positive influences on higher education learners. Despite this, teachers and students consistently report being dissatisfied with feedback. In response, there has been a theoretical shift in how feedback is conceptualised and discussed within the research literature. Older transmission-focused models have evolved into more learning-focused approaches. However, the extent to which higher education feedback policy, and subsequent practice, embrace such current thinking is unclear. This research adopted a corpus linguistics approach to analyse how the term ‘feedback’ was used within 50 UK higher education institutions’ feedback policy texts. Sketch Engine was used to analyse ‘feedback’ collocation frequencies. To investigate differences between research-intensive (Russell Group) and more teaching-focused (non-Russell Group) universities, separate corpora were also compiled and compared. Quantitative results showed that the most frequent feedback collocations related to outdated transmission-focused feedback practices. However, qualitative deductive thematic analysis found that many feedback policies did present learning-focused feedback practices despite using transmission-focused language. Feedback appears to mean different things to different higher education institutions which could lead to confusion for teachers and students. The research concludes by presenting key practical implications for practitioners involved in feedback policy design and enactment to improve practice.