A Step by Step Methodological Approach to Appraise the Quality of Written Feedback Using Comment Analysis

Abstract

Several studies have been conducted to analyze the quality of written feedback given by teachers on students’ written assignments. However, it has been observed that there is no clear existing method or tool to facilitate the analysis of teachers’ written feedback. This paper aims to document a step by step methodological approach to analyze teachers’ comments and appraise the quality of feedback on students’ written assignments. A self-initiated tool was developed from the comment analysis process which revealed the use of various formats and modes employed to provide written feedback to the students. In addition, this tool helped to determine the focus and tone of the feedback.  Using a step by step approach, the tool also helped to identify clarity in the given feedback. This paper is an addition to the existing literature in the qualitative research method for in-depth analysis of teachers’ comments. This effort will not only appraise the quality of given feedback but also help in further development of a comprehensive qualitative tool to assess its quality.