DECODING FEEDBACK: HOW STUDENTS’ CONCEPTIONS OF FEEDBACK DRIVE COGNITIVE ENGAGEMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the effect of students’ conceptions of feedback on their cognitive engagement. Although student cognitive engagement is an extensively researched construct, it is still developing, and various areas remain to be explored one of which is the assessment context for student engagement. Educational researchers have highlighted that investigating the relationship between assessment and student engagement is crucial. To collect data for the constructs, a survey methodology was employed using a convenience sample of 499 university students from six public and private institutions. Two validated instruments the Students’ Conceptions of Feedback (SCoF) inventory and Cognitive Engagement sub-scales from Attitudes Towards Mathematics (ATM) were administered after obtaining formal permission from the developers. Hypotheses were derived from an extensive literature review. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) via SmartPLS 3 was utilized for statistical analysis. The findings revealed a statistically significant positive effect of SCoF on cognitive engagement.