Contextual influences on feedback practices: an ecological perspective

Critique has been levelled at the use of models for feedback practices that ignore context in health professions education. Models such as the “feedback sandwich” are often adopted as rules to be followed regardless of the situation. In this chapter, we utilise an updated version of the Bronfenbrenner ecological framework of human development to unpack contextual influences on feedback practices at different levels. The framework seeks to integrate and conceptualise the environment and other influences on behaviour. The implication of the interplay of these networked systems on feedback practices and consequences for learners is that a one-size feedback intervention is not suitable for all situations. Promoting feedback by design involves taking context into account for each of the systems. A step forward in terms of scaling up effective feedback practices would be through using this contextual mapping to improve feedback literacy of students and staff. On the basis of our mapping we highlight the usefulness of ecological models for research and practice in assessment for learning in higher education and propose recommendations for future research.