Examining the Perceptions of High School Students on Teachers' Feedback and Its Impact on Academic Progress in Government Schools at RAK, the UAE

Abstract

This research seeks to explore students’ perception towards teacher feedback and how these perceptions are related to academic achievement among high-school students, which are located among public schools in Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates . Although feedback is recognized as vital to the learning of students, there have been few studies that have attempted to investigate how students in the UAE view the effectiveness and value of feedback as a contributor to their learning progress. This research attempts to understand student perceptions on teacher feedback efficacy, teacher feedback relevance and teacher feedback timeliness and the influence of these factors on school performance. The study addressed the research question: What are the high school students' perceptions in Ras Al Khaimah regarding teacher feedback and how do these perceptions effect their academic achievement. The research used a sequential explanatory mixed methods design, combining the quantitative data from a survey of 348 students with qualitative interview data. This approach provided a more nuanced interpretation of the structures and patterns generated through analysis. The results indicated that supportive feedback, in term of being timely, empathetic, and meeting the needs of student emerged as the strongest predictor of academic progress, which preferences other feedback like usefulness or alignment with learning goals. There were no significant differences by gender, age, or grade. Interview data confirmed these findings where it was found that students appreciate feedback that is clear, motivating and assists them in improving. Findings highlight the critical role of feedback for self-regulation in learning and academic motivation and provide implications around how teacher feedback quality may be enhanced through professional development as well as technology-supported practices.