Children’s perceptions of teacher feedback: Portuguese validation of a scale

ABSTRACT

This research aims to validate the Portuguese version of the Teacher Feedback Scale (TFS) in a sample of 628 children from third and fourth grade. Teacher feedback is a crucial factor in child development, with an impact in students’ motivation and learning. It provides daily cognitive and emotional information about children’s academic performance and their abilities as learners. The results of exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and subsequent confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) indicated that the TFS consists of five subscales: praise, ability-effort in reading, ability-effort in math, general negative feedback and specific negative feedback. The measure shows that good reliability estimates and factor loadings were invariant across gender. Evidence of predictive validity is presented through gender differences and associations of feedback with children's competence perceptions. The potential of the measure in educational settings and research is discussed.

RESUMO

A presente investigação tem como objetivo validar a versão portuguesa da Escala de Feedback do Professor (Teacher Feedback Scale - TFS) numa amostra de 628 crianças do 3.º e 4.º anos de escolaridade. O feedback do professor é um fator crucial para o desenvolvimento infantil, com impacto na motivação e aprendizagem dos alunos. Estas mensagens fornecem aos alunos, de forma diária, informação cognitiva e emocional sobre os seus desempenhos e capacidades enquanto aprendentes. Os resultados da análise fatorial exploratória (AFE) e subsequente análise fatorial confirmatória (AFC) indicaram que a TFS consiste em cinco subescalas: elogio, feedback de capacidade-esforço na leitura, feedback de capacidade-esforço na matemática, feedback negativo geral e feedback negativo específico. O instrumento demonstrou bons índices de consistência interna e os pesos fatoriais revelaram-se invariantes entre géneros. São apresentadas evidências de validade preditiva através das diferenças de género e das associações entre o feedback e as perceções de competência das crianças. É discutido o potencial do instrumento em contexto educacional e na investigação.

KEYWORDS:

• Teacher feedback
• praise
• ability
• effort
• scale adaptation
• factor analysis

PALAVRAS-CHAVE:

• Feedback do professor
• elogio
• capacidade
• esforço
• adaptação de instrumentos
• análise fatorial

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) under the grant [2020.06562. BD] assigned to the first author.

Notes on contributors

Márcia Laranjeira

Márcia Laranjeira is a PhD student of Psychology at the University of Lisbon, with a grant funded by the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT). Her research interests are inclusive education, teachers’ motivational styles and children’s vocational self-concept.

Maria Odília Teixeira

Maria Odília Teixeira is an assistant professor at the Faculty of Psychology, University of Lisbon. She is the author of numerous international articles and book chapters. Her current themes of research are children’s academic and vocational self-concept, gender equity, self-efficacy, well-being and adaptation of psychological measures.