Abstract:

This paper focuses on the implementation of a feedback-providing program within high-school students testing instruments and in the analysis of its impact on student’s perceptions and testing performance, during a school-year length period at a specific subject.

This study has three main goals:
(i) to know high school student’s perceptions concerning the importance of providing meaningful feedback information after test taking;
(ii) to assess the impact of a feedback-providing program in students test scores evolution and
(iii) to evaluate the impact of a feedback-providing program on daily-students learning and test-taking preparation routines.

Shute (2008) provided nine guidelines for using feedback to enhance learning: focus feedback on the task not the learner, provide elaborated feedback (describing the what, how, why), present elaborated feedback in manageable units, be specific and clear with feedback messages, keep feedback as simple as possible but no simpler, reduce uncertainty between performance and goals, give objective feedback, written or via computer (more trustworthy sources are more likely to be received), promote a learning goal orientation via feedback (move focus from performance to the learning, welcome errors). This program involves the feedback-providing program within a sample of 51 high-school students, from K15 to K17, at Biology and Geology subject. It was adopted a quasi-experimental design, with non-equivalent groups, to evaluate the effectiveness of the feedback intervention in a real school context. The feedback-providing program intervention consists in delivering students’ tests with error and feedback analysis, made by the teacher.The feedback was given within each test among a colour code. It consisted in specific information based upon 4 coloured key-points: students’ strengths (green); upgrading areas (yellow); strategies to success (violet); specific challenges (red).

The following quantitative methods were used in this study:
(i) 2 questionnaires (feedback online students’ survey), before and after feedback-providing program intervention;
(ii) students global testing average scores, before and after feedback-providing program intervention.

As qualitative methods, it were developed 3 instruments:
(i) error and test´s feedback analysis sessions students’ progression checklist fulfilment;
(ii) error and test´s feedback sessions students’ progression observation by the teacher;
(iii) semi-structured interview, during and after intervention, to randomized selected students.

All formal procedures were performed with local education authorities. Data collected from students, before and after feedback-providing program intervention, as the students’ questionnaires and global testing average scores were analysed using the software Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS v.23). Though this project will continue to be assessed, with the fulfilment of the following instruments:
(i) by students - error and test´s feedback analysis sessions students’ progression checklist;
(ii) by the teacher - error and test´s feedback sessions students’ progression observation and
(iii) semi-structured interview, during and after intervention, to randomized selected students.

Keywords:

Formative assessment, Feedback, Achievement, Motivation, student learning.