Wise feedback and trust in higher education: A quantitative and qualitative exploration of undergraduate students' experiences with critical feedback

Using quantitative and qualitative methods, we explore students' engagement with critical feedback in an authentic university setting. Findings support the centrality of strong relationships in the feedback process. Study 1 was the first conceptual replication and extension of Yeager et al.'s (2014) wise feedback intervention to test the effectiveness/efficacy in a new setting. Undergraduate students (n = 94) were randomly assigned to receive a wise feedback message (explicitly stated the instructor's high expectations and belief in the student's ability to meet those expectations) or a control message. Although we did not replicate prior findings, we observed high initial levels of institutional and relational trust, which was maintained across the semester for students in both conditions. In Study 2, we conducted interviews with BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) students (n = 6), to explore the underlying assumptions of wise feedback (i.e., attributional ambiguity) and their experiences with critical feedback in higher education. Although these discussions were nuanced, and will be unpacked further, generally students highlighted the role of feedback in bolstering or deteriorating their relationships with instructors. These findings have implications for educators who are tasked with providing critical feedback while simultaneously protecting relational dynamics with students. Undergraduate students who received wise feedback did not report statistically significant changes in school or relational trust. These findings stand in contrast to earlier research conducted with middle school students. Because older students have more experience with feedback throughout their academic career (for better or worse), it is possible that a more intensive intervention may be necessary to help overcome their pre-existing expectations. Instructional decisions such as planning for students to have opportunities to meaningfully engage with feedback (through time in class or encouraging resubmissions) may contribute to students' development of feedback literacy and comfort/confidence actively participating in the feedback process. Not only do educators need to provide students with high-quality feedback comments (e.g., specific, timely, action-oriented), they should also consider how the broader learning environment, including student-teacher relationships, facilitate or discourage feedback interactions.