Feedback-seeking behaviour as a self-regulation strategy in higher education: a pedagogical approach

Journal article, 2025

Feedback-seeking is a critical skill in higher education, where students are expected to actively engage with and initiate the feedback process. However, limited research explores how feedback-seeking can be explicitly taught. This study examines a systematic pedagogical approach to teaching feedback-seeking behaviour (FSB) in first-year STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) higher education, grounded in the self-regulation of learning (SRL) framework. Integrating FSB into the academic writing process, the pedagogical approach focuses on feedback monitoring and feedback inquiry from peers and teachers. Using a longitudinal design, data were collected from 96 students across 16 groups, including drafts, reflections, feedback questions, and students' evaluations of the pedagogical approach. Findings reveal that teaching FSB systematically enables students to: 1) engage in targeted feedback inquiry, 2) monitor and identify gaps in their work, such as vague descriptions, and 3) develop strategic prioritization skills, balancing areas for improvement with project goals in collaborative settings. This study contributes to FSB research by offering a structured model that transforms feedback practices into tools for active learning and self-regulation.