Abstract Summary
This paper presents a research study that empirically investigates the effects of peer rubric feedback as a reflective approach on pre-service foreign language teachers’ oral feedback skills in the target language English. The author presents the rubric as a reflective tool, discusses the rationale and method and presents first findings.
Abstract :
The relevance of effective feedback and its striking influence on student success has received ample attention in academic teacher training, not least since the publication of Hattie & Timperley’s extensive meta study and proposed feedback model (2007). Indeed, feedback is deemed one of the most influential factors that shape student achievement (Hattie & Timperley, 2007). However, for feedback to be effective, it needs to be understood and acted upon by the learner (Helmke, 2007). It is therefore imperative that foreign language teachers convey their feedback in an accessible manner while adhering to best practice feedback principles. Providing accessible feedback requires language skills and practical skills which are considered highly specific to the teaching profession (Bleichenbacher et al., 2014c) and which are not simply acquired through mere exposure. Consequently, they need to deliberately be developed through the application of reflective tools, practice and specific tasks in foreign language teacher education.
The present study empirically investigates the systematic implementation of targeted peer feedback training in foreign language teacher education through the employment of an assessment rubric as a reflective tool. The rubric is based on the profession-related language competence profiles (Kuster et al., 2014) and is designed to assess profession-related language competences such as providing feedback at target level. Specifically, this study researches the development of pre-service foreign language teachers’ oral feedback skills in the target language English while focusing on language- and content related aspects. This paper presents the rationale, design and implementation of the study with an emphasis on the complex learning environment it is embedded in. Furthermore, it focuses on the application of the language competence profiles and assessment rubric as reflective tools and presents first results that indicate that rubric peer feedback has the potential to increase pre-service teachers’ awareness of relevant, language specific markers of effective feedback.
