Writing assignments and feedback for learning psychology: student perspective and proposals

Abstract

In higher education, written feedback is relevant to the academic and professional development of students. This paper reports the results of research aimed at identifying the forms of feedback that university professors, from the perspective of psychology students, provide on writing tasks. A sequential mixed-methods design was employed, with qualitative methods privileged as the primary input. In the exploratory first stage (quantitative), a questionnaire with open and closed-ended questions was administered, incorporating comic strip vignettes to illustrate forms of written feedback. In the second stage (qualitative), a focus group interview guide was used. The study involved 38 psychology students, and the analysis triangulated information into two categories: content feedback and student proposals. The results confirm the use of writing tasks for accrediting learning, as identified in previous studies on the subject, but differences emerge in the tasks assigned for learning within courses. Regarding feedback, students indicate that professors primarily provide oral comments for improving work. Three prominent proposals include strengthening teacher training, supplementary training actions on writing, and designing didactic resources for writing tasks. Ultimately, the relevance of incorporating students' perspectives for literacy initiatives in university settings is affirmed, along with the significance of mixed methods in educational research.