Students’ feedback seeking behaviour in undegraduate education: A scoping review

Abstract

Feedback seeking in the organisational field has attracted sustained attention but seems relatively under-exploited in higher education. This scoping review aims to synthesize empirical research on feedback seeking in undergraduate education to develop a comprehensive understanding of students’ feedback seeking strategies and motivations, and related antecedents and outcomes. The method involved consultations with an expert panel, and a scoping review of 42 studies identified through rigorous search procedures. The key findings discuss learning enhancement, impression management and ego-based motives for feedback seeking; direct inquiry, indirect inquiry and monitoring strategies; and potential for feedback seeking outcomes to relate to high achievement. Broader implications focus on the interdependence between feedback seeking and feedback literacy; and the potential for cross-fertilisation of insights between research in organisations, medical education and broader higher education. Implications for practice focus on training and supporting student feedback seeking within psychologically safe learning environments.