This UKLA funded study led by Dr Deborah Jones is informed by key principles of Assessment for Learning. Black & Wiliam state that formative assessment ‘involves… feedback between those taught and the teacher and… this is entailed in the quality of the interaction which is at the heart of dialogue’ (1998:16). Fundamental to this research is the hypothesis that one of the most effective forms of feedback on children’s writing, takes place through dialogue and reflection. This research builds on this and explores the nature of the interaction. Within the project school, staff employ dialogic teaching methods and are exploring ways in which cumulative dialogue can be embedded in their feedback exchanges.
Aims of the research
1) To identify the nature of oral feedback on writing in years 3, 4, 5 and 6.
2) To provide opportunities for both teachers and children to reflect on what constitutes effective oral feedback on compositional aspects of writing (printed text).
3) To develop high quality dialogue within feedback exchanges which scaffolds children’s critical thinking and fosters their independence as writers.
4) To produce a model of effective oral feedback and guidelines for practice.
The research is informed by AfL (and the feedback exchange within it) as a Vygotskian social construct where ‘learning is… a social and collaborative activity in which people develop their thinking together’ (James, 2009:57).
Video elicitation is being used to develop ‘a common language’ to discuss learning and teaching, ‘sharpening participants’ sensitivity’ (Lefstein and Snell, 2014: 177) and to make children’s and teachers’ thinking about learning explicit.