The concept of feeding back to a whole class on a piece of work isn’t something new. It has been around for years. But recently, it seems that there has been a realisation that if done properly, this can be a real timesaver in terms of teacher workload. So much so that it is being held up as some sort of marker of an informed approach to teaching.

But is whole-class feedback effective and will it stand the test of time?

Identifying misconceptions is such a huge part of teaching. Traditionally, to achieve this, there has been an onus on teachers reading through piles of books with their coloured pens, ticking and crossing, setting targets, giving EBIs (the list goes on) and giving individualised feedback.

This is time-consuming and, in all honesty, not remotely effective practice if we consider progress and impact on pupils.

Flip the system

Whole-class feedback, however, flips the tradition upside down. It is about identifying common errors in work and addressing them.

Critics argue that this approach destroys individualised feedback and can hinder the highest attainers’ progress, due to them not having a misconception in the first place. Those concerns are valid, but only if whole class feedback is used badly.

When done well, whole-class feedback can save hours of teacher time and actually significantly improve student outcomes. But it is in danger of being seen as a fad because it is being misunderstood.

Wrong approach

Many have misconceptions around how whole-class feedback works. The term itself is a bit ambiguous because it implies everyone gets the same feedback. That may be the case for elements of the feedback, but it is often tailored to groups or individuals within the class.

And as with anything in education, the idea is just the start - it’s about how the concept is applied that makes all the difference. Whole class feedback is only effective if a teacher, department or school think carefully about what they need in their context.

Often, teachers opt for sheets to give the feedback on that they may detail:

• Misconception
• Extensions
• New material
• Praise
• Advice
• Models
• Alternative interpretations
• Key vocabulary

No matter what the approach is, if it helps students progress, it is serving a more practical function than most traditional “long” marking.

Time saver

Not only that, it takes a fraction of the time, meaning that more feedback can be given in a period of time. As we know, the more quality feedback that a student gets, the more they are likely to improve.

And there is nothing saying that whole-class feedback can’t be coupled with another approach. For example, I do weekly whole-class feedback coupled with live marking each lesson. I spend less than 20 minutes per class outside of lessons preparing feedback. I’ve never worked so efficiently and seen such progress.

Too many teachers see marking as a strain and a burden. Whole-class feedback can be the remedy to that problem, but only if we protect it from becoming a fad by reiterating how to do it well, and not letting a watered down version undermine it.

Maybe it’s time that we put aside the piles of books and started to think more practically about approaches to helping students improve their work.

Adam Riches is a specialist leader of education and lead teacher in English