An anatomy of feedback: a phenomenographic investigation of undergraduate students' conceptions of feedback

The aim of this research was to investigate how undergraduate students conceptualise feedback, and compare this with research into conceptions of teaching and learning related phenomena in higher education. Using a phenomenographic approach, 28 physiotherapy students in New Zealand were interviewed about their experiences. Data analysis resulted in four qualitatively different experiences of feedback as: telling; guiding; developing understanding; and opening up a different perspective. The conceptions varied from a focus on one-way message transmission, to a more socially situated process. Analysis also showed several dimensions of feedback: focus of attention; agent of feedback; direction of communication; application over time; and range of application. The results provide useful information about variation in how students conceptualise feedback. This information may provide a better understanding of a process which is a key link between how students learn and how we teach.