Teachers' Conceptions of Feedback Practices in American Modern Orthodox Yeshiva High Schools

Abstract

Educational scholarship regards feedback in all of its forms as a critical component of successful instruction. This study utilized the TCoF (Teacher Conceptions of Feedback) survey, which measures teachers' beliefs about feedback and their associated practices, to investigate the feedback beliefs and practices of teachers in American Modern Orthodox high schools. In total, 131 practicing teachers in American Modern Orthodox high schools, both in Judaic studies and general studies returned completed surveys. The survey data revealed that American Modern Orthodox instructors conceive of feedback mostly as a tool for improvement and they endorsed task type feedback most frequently. These results replicated the results obtained from a previous study utilizing the TCoF instrument. The survey data indicated that particular teacher conceptions of feedback are statistically significantly related to the types of feedback teachers endorse. This research revealed that demographic factors such as sex, years of experience and subject matter taught significantly influenced the self-reported feedback conceptions and practices of American Modern Orthodox High School teachers. Older teachers, female teachers and secular studies teachers were more likely to endorse higher orders of feedback and to rate all of forms of feedback more enthusiastically.