Feedforward as a formative process: the reaction of accounting students

S. Parry, MA Bamber

Research output: Contribution to journalArticle (Academic Journal)peer-review

Abstract

Although the theoretical benefits of feedback are generally well established, in practice those benefits can be less than clear. This is particularly the case on shorter courses, where students have limited scope to integrate feedback into future assessment performance. If we accept that one of the key purposes of feedback is to encourage students to reflect on – and subsequently change –their performance, there is a strong argument for feedforward in such cases. This paper analyses the performance of 137 students on an MBA module in financial decision-making. An assignment was delivered to two groups, one of which was involved in a structured feedforward exercise. At the end of the module all students completed an evaluative questionnaire. In addition, a focus group was held with a group of students who had been involved with the feedforward exercise. The study found that increased support and guidance through the feedforward process had no significant impact on student performance, but that student satisfaction increased. The question of performance was found to be intertwined with complex issues of strategic approaches to learning, satisficing behaviour, ‘spoon-feeding’ reactions and workload management. The study points to a need for more qualitative research into students’ strategies for assessment.
Translated title of the contributionFeedforward as a formative process: the reaction of accounting students
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)62 - 72
Number of pages11
JournalPractitioner Research in Higher Education
Volume4
Publication statusPublished - Jan 2010

Bibliographical note

Title of Publication Reviewed: Feedforward as a formative process: the reaction of accounting students

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