Amy Ramsey (Griffiths) 110144437

EDUC4206

Professional Inquiry Project Findings

Focus

The focus of my professional inquiry project was to enhance my delivery of timely and

constructive feedback to build student confidence in the mathematics curriculum area. I planned

to achieve this focus through the use of two informal feedback strategies including oral feedback

and written feedback throughout each mathematics lesson. This professional inquiry project

focus aligns with the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) graduate

teaching standard 5.2, ‘provide feedback to students on their learning’ (Australian Institute for

Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) 2017).

School and Classroom Context

My professional experience placement was completed at a category one school located in the

northern suburbs of Adelaide, with approximately 350 students enrolled. The students attending

the school are diverse and there is a mixture of mainstream and Intensive English Language

Programs (IELP) classrooms. The school is a Tribes Learning Community where a safe and caring

environment is fostered through respect and appreciation of others. Back to Front Maths is the

mathematics program implemented and followed within the school. I taught in a foundation

classroom comprised of 20 students including four Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students,

two English as an Additional Language or Dialect (EAL/D) students, and one student with a
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verified disability for speech. There were also multiple students with trauma related behaviours.

Regular attendance at school was an ongoing issue with a number of students.

Justification of Teaching Behaviour and Curriculum Area

I chose timely and constructive feedback as the theme for my professional inquiry project as I

found that assessment was one of the areas I was lacking in evidence when referring to the AITSL

graduate teaching standards. Constructive feedback is also a topic that my professional

experience placement school, along with their partnership, have been focusing on for the past

couple of years. Mathematics was highlighted by my supervising teacher as a curriculum area

where timely and constructive feedback would be useful to students to help build their

confidence in such learning.

Feedback is an important skill for educators as it can examine where the students currently are

in their learning and where they are meant to be, subsequently reducing the gap between the

two (Owens 2016, p. 169; Peterson & Portier 2012, p. 238; Hattie 2012, p. 115). However, for

feedback to be meaningful and effective it must be immediate, links success with effort, and

provides information about student improvement and mastery in learning (Schweinle, Meyer &

Turner 2006, p. 272). When implementing my professional inquiry project, it was essential that I

learnt about the students, their interests, and their position in their mathematics learning so I

could tailor my feedback to be meaningful and effective for each of them.

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To assist students in gaining a greater understanding of the concepts in the mathematics

curriculum area, feedback should be provided in various forms such as questions, prompts, and

cues, rather than through a direct explanation of the answer (Fisher & Frey 2011, p. 29). Such

forms of feedback also correspond to the Back to Front Maths program implemented by the

school, where problem-solving teaching is a focus with many types of active questioning to

promote greater understanding in the learning of mathematics (Kennedy Press 2015).

Furthermore, research has shown that positive, consistent, constructive, substantive, and

supportive feedback from educators to students in relation to their academic abilities and

learning progress can increase self-efficacy, intrinsic motivation, and feelings of importance as

well as enhancing interest and persistence in regard to education (Kamins & Dweck and Ryan &

Deci, cited in Schweinle, Meyer & Turner 2006, pp. 272-273; Beghetto 2006, p. 454; Owens 2016,

p. 175). This all contributed to important considerations of providing timely and constructive

feedback to students during the implementation of mathematics lessons.

Design and Data Collection Techniques

The plan surrounding data collection involved collecting data four times a week, over a four-and-

a-half-week period, throughout, and following, each mathematics lesson. This was planned to

occur through three various data collection methods including a personal journal, happy and sad

face student feedback proformas, and supervisor teacher questionnaires. I considered these

methods of data collection in relation to my professional inquiry project to be important in

improving my teaching practice in providing timely and constructive feedback to students. This
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is supported by Grundy (1995, p. 9) who attests that action research, or inquiry projects, is a

process of change ‘specifically directed towards improvement’.

The personal journal involved recording personal reflections at the end of each mathematics

lesson I implemented, using a personal reflection template that was specific to my professional

inquiry project goal (Appendix A). The happy and sad face student feedback proformas (Appendix

B) required gathering student feedback during each mathematics lesson, where they could

identify whether, yes (happy face), or no (sad face), my feedback supported building their

confidence and learning in mathematics. I also created space on these proformas where I could

specify the timely and/or constructive feedback I provided. The supervisor teacher

questionnaires required my supervisor teacher to answer a number of predetermined questions

decided by me, regarding my professional inquiry project goal, throughout each mathematics

lesson I implemented (Appendix C). Overall, it was crucial that I involve both students and my

supervisor teacher with proformas to provide feedback on my professional inquiry project goal,

as action research is not considered to be an individual process but requires support and

collaboration from others (Grundy 1995, p. 10).

Data Results and Analysis

Through collation of data within my personal reflection journal on timely and constructive

feedback, I discovered that on average, I provided timely and constructive feedback ten times

each per mathematics lesson (Appendix D). However, it was evident through discussions with

both my supervisor teacher and university liaison that feedback can be provided in multiple ways,
 Amy Ramsey (Griffiths) 110144437

without consciously realising it. I used multiple teaching strategies such as explicit teaching,

modelling, demonstrating, responding, scaffolding, collaborating, and questioning (Macmillan

2009, pp. 153-156), all of which have elements of feedback within them. Four out of ten

mathematics lesson implemented communicated the learning goal to students using the ‘We Are

Learning To…’ (WALT) proforma. It was an ongoing goal throughout my professional experience

placement to ensure I communicated this lesson intent. Other goals included the use of explicit

teaching to introduce concepts and to check for understanding throughout lessons. These goals

informed my future lessons, which is considered part of the action research cycle (Grundy 1995,

p. 11). An example of a completed personal reflection journal can be found in Appendix E.

In regard to the student happy and sad face feedback proforma, I collected this data a total of

seven times from six different students. Six of these proformas were returned with a happy face,

indicating that my feedback supported their building confidence and learning in mathematics.

One proforma was returned with a sad face, indicating that my feedback did not support their

building confidence and learning in mathematics, and was in relation to using balance scales to

determine what is light and heavy. I found it difficult to collect these evaluations from students

as I found it interrupted their learning, especially when they were focused on completing a task.

Another consideration was that students could see, and complete, the happy or sad face

evaluation in regard to how they are feeling in general, and not necessarily in regard to the

feedback I provided. An example of both a happy and sad face evaluation can be found in

Appendix F.
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Out of the ten mathematics lessons I implemented, my supervisor teacher provided me with five

completed supervisor teacher questionnaires. They recorded that, on average, I provided timely,

and constructive, feedback 16 times each per mathematics lesson (Appendix G). On average, they

believed the effectiveness of my timely and constructive feedback was good (Appendix G). They

recorded that questioning and scaffolding students was a standout of the feedback I provided. In

comparison to my personal reflections, it is clear there are differences to what I noticed about

my practice and what my supervising teacher noticed, especially in regard to how many times

timely and constructive feedback were provided. However, this is the benefit of having multiple

stakeholders involved in action research (Killen 2016, p. 113). An example of a completed

supervising teacher questionnaire can be found in Appendix H.

Reflection

When looking back on the data collected for my professional inquiry project, it is clear the

amounts do not add up. The idea was to collect data four times a week over a four-and-a-half-

week period, equating to 18 lessons worth of evidence. However, due to school events,

assessment, and testing, only ten mathematics lessons were implemented. While I was able to

keep up with these reflections, gaining feedback from students and my supervising teacher

proved difficult. However, this did not hinder my involvement in professional discussions with

both my supervising teacher and critical friend (Killen 2016, p. 114), where I could gain feedback

and suggestions on my goal of enhancing my delivery of timely and constructive feedback.

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Overall, throughout the professional inquiry project process I discovered that I used feedback

more often than I realised throughout lessons. At one point, my supervising teacher noted that

a teaching strategy where I asked students to put their hands in the air if they agreed, or hands

on their shoulders if they disagreed, with a bath holding more than a bucket, was effective in

exploring student reasoning and clearing up misunderstandings within a group setting. As time

went on during my professional experience placement, I began to understand that feedback does

not have to always be in relation to individual work to be effective but can be meaningful and

effective even during circle time with the class.

Conclusion

My professional inquiry project about enhancing my delivery of timely and constructive feedback

to build student confidence in their mathematics learning provided me with various insights into

my teaching practice. I believe mathematics was an important curriculum area to focus on to

improve student confidence through the use of feedback, as it is often an area where many

students struggle to understand concepts. In relation to my own practice, it showed me that

feedback does not simply have to be written but can be incorporated into many aspects of a

lesson and that I provide more feedback to students than I am consciously aware of. In a general

sense, by reviewing my practice I have noted that sometimes small considerations that can make

a difference, such as communicating learning goals, can be forgotten, but it is not the be all and

end all. As long as we reflect on what we have, or have not done, we have time to improve on

our practice the following day.

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References

Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) 2017, Australian professional
standards for teachers, Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership, viewed 24
September 2018, <https://www.aitsl.edu.au/teach/standards>.

Beghetto, RA 2006, ‘Creative self-efficacy: correlates in middle and secondary students’,

Creativity Research Journal, vol. 18, no. 4, pp. 447-457.

Fisher, D & Frey, N 2011, ‘Feed up, feedback, and feed forward’, Science and Children, vol. 48,
no. 9, pp. 26-30.

Grundy, S 1995, Action research as professional development, Innovative Links Project,

Murdoch.

Hattie, J 2012, Visible learning for teachers: maximizing impact on learning, Routledge, Oxon,
ProQuest eBook Central.

Kennedy Press 2015, Tips and tricks for problem-based teaching, Kennedy Press Pty Ltd., viewed
24 September 2018, <https://backtofrontmaths.com.au/daily-teaching-help/tips-and-tricks-for-
problem-based-teaching#asking-questions>.

Killen, R 2016, Effective teaching strategies: lessons from research and practice, 7th edn,
Cengage Australia, Victoria.

Macmillian, A 2009, Numeracy in early childhood: Shared contexts for teaching and learning,
Oxford University Press, Victoria.
 Amy Ramsey (Griffiths) 110144437

Peterson, SS & Portier, C 2014, ‘Grade one peer and teacher feedback on student writing’,
Education 3-13: International Journal of Primary, Elementary, and Early Years Education, vol. 42,
no. 3, pp. 237-257.

Owens, L 2016, ‘The impact of feedback as formative assessment on student performance’,

International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, vol. 28, no. 2, pp. 168-175.

Schweinle, A, Meyer, DK & Turner, JC 2006, ‘Striking the right balance: students’ motivation and
affect in elementary mathematics’, The Journal of Educational Research, vol. 99, no. 5, pp. 271-
294.
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Appendix A

Personal Reflection Journal

Daily Template

Date

‘Feed up’: were the goals of the

lesson clearly communicated and
what were they?

Approximately, how many times

do you think timely feedback was
provided?

Approximately, how many times

do you think constructive
feedback was provided?

How do you rate the

effectiveness of the timely and
constructive feedback provided?

Was there some particular

feedback provided that stood out
for you?

Was there some particular

feedback provided that could be
improved?

How did the students respond to

the timely and constructive
feedback you provided?

What is your goal for providing

feedback tomorrow?
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Appendix B

Student Feedback
Happy and Sad Face Evaluation Proforma

Student Feedback Evaluation

Did Miss Amy’s feedback about your mathematics learning improve your confidence?

Teacher Comment (Feedback Provided)

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Appendix C

Supervising Teacher Questionnaire

Date

Approximately, how many times did Amy provide timely feedback?

0-4 5-9 10-14 15-19 20+

Approximately, how many times did Amy provide constructive feedback?

0-4 5-9 10-14 15-19 20+

How do you rate the effectiveness of the timely and constructive feedback provided?

Unsatisfactory Needs Improving Satisfactory Good Excellent

Was there some particular feedback provided that stood out to you? (please comment)

Did the students respond to the timely and constructive feedback provided by Amy, in
the way it was intended? Why/why not? (please comment)
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Appendix D

Data Collation

Approximately, how many times do you think timely feedback was provided?
Date 24/8 29/8 30/8 31/8 5/9 6/9 7/9 11/9 12/9 13/9
Amount 12 5-10 10 15 5-10 10-15 10 10 - 10

Average: Timely feedback provided 10 times per lesson.

Approximately, how many times do you think constructive feedback was provided?
Date 24/8 29/8 30/8 31/8 5/9 6/9 7/9 11/9 12/9 13/9
Amount 3 5-10 10 10 5 10 10 20 - 15

Average: Constructive feedback provided 10 times per lesson.

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Appendix E
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Appendix F
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Appendix G

Data Collation

Approximately, how many times did Amy provide timely feedback?

Date 24/8 28/8 30/8 5/9 7/9
Amount 5-9 20+ 15-19 20+ 15-19

Average: Timely feedback provided 16 times per lesson.

Approximately, how many times did Amy provide timely feedback?

Date 24/8 28/8 30/8 5/9 7/9
Amount 5-9 20+ 15-19 20+ 15-19

Average: Constructive feedback provided 16 times per lesson.

How do you rate the effectiveness of the timely and constructive feedback provided?
Date 24/8 28/8 30/8 5/9 7/9
Rating Satisfactory Good Good Excellent Good

Average: Effectiveness of timely and constructive feedback was good.

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Appendix H