Exploring Student Feedback Perceptions and Motivations: A Qualitative Descriptive Study

Abstract

Students in institutions of higher education experience instructor feedback across classes. However, scholars suggest students do not always understand and employ instructor feedback. Guided by Growth Mindset Theory, this qualitative descriptive study explored how students in a first-year composition course described their perceptions of instructor feedback and their motivation to utilize instructor feedback. The study had an overall research question and two sub-research questions: Overall RQ: How do first-year composition students describe their experiences with their instructors’ feedback and their motivations to utilize their instructors’ feedback? RQ1: How do first-year composition students describe their experiences with their instructors’ feedback, and RQ2: How do first-year composition students describe their motivation to utilize their instructors’ feedback? The study employed 20 student participants who were enrolled in or had completed their First-Year Composition (FYC) at a two-year public institution in Southern California. Sixteen students participated in virtual one-on-one semi-structured interviews, and four participated in a virtual focus group. The data were analyzed using Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis. Research findings suggest FYC students: (a) Desire specific feedback, (b) Describe feedback as a way to grow both their confidence and skills, (c) describe feedback as a contributor to self-perceptions, (e) describe feedback’s ability to motivate, (f) describe one-sided feedback as demotivating and (g) describe their motivation to learn from instructor feedback. The results highlight the importance of understanding students’ experiences with instructor feedback.