Student teacher assessment feedback preferences: The influence of cognitive styles and gender

The enhancement of assessment feedback is an international concern. This study is unique in its exploration of the nature of the relationship between student teachers’ assessment feedback preferences, cognitive styles and gender, with a view to informing the development of assessment feedback practices and course design within initial teacher education (ITE) contexts. The cognitive styles and assessment feedback preferences of 108 initial teacher education student teachers (41 males; 67 females) were identified. Similarities as well as differences in assessment feedback preferences between males and females were evident, along with interaction effects between cognitive styles and gender. The use of an explicit framework in the form of a Personal Learning Styles Pedagogy is offered as a way of enhancing ITE course design and assessment feedback provision.

Research highlights
► The focus is on student teachers’ assessment feedback preferences.
► Relationships between style, gender and feedback preferences were evident.
► Developing learner self-regulatory mechanisms to access feedback are highlighted.
► An explicit framework: a Personal Learning Styles Pedagogy is presented.