Understanding and using feedback – A review of empirical studies concerning feedback from external evaluations to teachers

To improve the quality of teaching, educational accountability needs to include periodic external evaluations of students’ performance. This requires evaluation formats which support the development of the educational process and provide information which is understandable for teachers. The aims of this study were to review: (i) how teachers understand the feedback they receive from external evaluations; (ii) how they use the feedback; and (iii) how teachers’ understanding and use of such feedback affects the achievement of their students. None of the papers included contained simultaneous a study with all three of these aspects of external evaluations; the review shows that teachers have many problems understanding feedback and mainly focus their use of it on developing strategic teaching tactics. Research that focuses on teachers’ understanding of external evaluation, their use of it, and how the use of the feedback can foster student achievement is needed.

► Teachers often have problems understanding feedback from external evaluations.
► Many teachers who receive feedback from external evaluations do not use it.
► Use of feedback often is mainly strategic; beneficial use is rather nominal.
► Low-performing schools particularly profit from external evaluations.
► The teaching of mathematics profits more from feedback than the teaching of reading.