TEACHER’S REASON FOR GIVING ORAL FEEDBACK ON STUDENTS’ PERFORMANCE IN THE CLASSROOM

Abstract

The study attempts to examine what type of oral feedback that the teacher provided to respond students’ performance and the teacher’s reason in giving certain type of oral feedback. This study was done by doing research at SMP N 4 Salatiga, the second grade and the interview with the teacher. It was in four different classes on the same grade on different group (high achiever- low achiver group) with the same teacher, sixty minutes observation for each. The classroom observations were transcribed into written forms. The analysis of the type of oral feedbacks that existed were based on Richards and Lockhart’s (1998) classification where oral feedback are categorized into seven different types of feedback. The study also gave a deep analysis on the reason why the teacher used certain type of oral feedback. The analysis was done through four interviews after each classroom observation. The participants gave their reasons and opinions on providing certain type of oral feedback on students’ performance. The feedback categorization shows what type of feedback that existed in classroom observation. However, the result of the study indicates that the teacher provided more oral feedback to respond students’ performance in higher achiever group compared to lower achiever group. The result of the interview indicates the reason why the teacher provided certain type of feedback on students’ performance.

Keywords: Feedback.

Introduction

According to Irons (2008) teacher has to provide appropriate feedback to have significant impact on students’ perspective both intrinsic (wanting to learn) and extrinsic (needing to learn), because students’ perspective is “good starting points” (Brown, 1998). In providing a good oral feedback, teacher needs to consider the clarity of feedback, especially how to indicate the ways in which students can improve and develop for the future (feed forward) so that the students get the point what actually teacher says and get the positive impact of feedback (Irons, 2008, p. 65).

However, there are some definitions of feedback; Reid (1993) states that feedback is everything which comes from teacher to respond students’ action as an initiator which consists of information for error revision or praises to encourage or enhance students learning, that is why feedback should be done in a “Good Way” (Irons, 2008). Tsui (1995) explains that feedback is when the teachers make evaluations and give comments on student’s performance. However, students often make some mistake while they are learning, and learning by making some mistake is one of the processes in acquiring English as a second language (Krashen, 1982). However, the study will analyze teacher oral feedback that existed in the classroom observation based on Irons’s (2008) definition that feedback is any information; process or activity with affords or accelerate students learning based on comments relating to assessment or activity

Every student must deal with mistake; students do not always flow smoothly while they are learning English. When students make some mistake or even do something correctly; it is teacher’s role to provide feedback as praise or evaluate the students appropriately when they make some mistake (Irons, 2008). In addition, students in the classroom have different level of ability in understanding the materials (high achiver – low achiever students).

In language classroom, teacher must provide feedback to evaluate students’ performance accuracy. According to Richards and Lockhart (1996, p.189) these include decision about (1) whether students’ error should be corrected, (2) which kind of error should be corrected, (3) How students’ error should be corrected. On the other hand, perception will settle what oral feedback that the teacher uses to respond students’ performance. Moreover, Robins (1997) explains that perception is some process by individual which they organize and interpret sensory experiences then it will bring sense or view toward a certain object. Levy & Shiraeve (2004) adds that perception will influence teacher to provide what type of oral feedback on students’ performance. It will then vary teacher to give certain type of oral feedback on students’ performance.

Teacher has to consider the students’ feeling while providing some feedback. Tsui (1995) adds that students’ feeling is closely related to certain psychological characteristic of the students. Therefore, teacher has to provide oral feedback to respond students’ performance in order to maintain the students to feel free in expressing their idea, so that the students do not afraid of making some mistakes and learn from the mistake which has been made. Moreover, Tsui (1995) argues that students’ mistake in a classroom is a source of learning.

Teacher’s feedback is usually associated with evaluating and providing information related to the students’ responses, but these are not the only functions. Teachers’ feedback can also acknowledge the information that teacher offers or provides personal comments on students’ performance. In feedback, teacher makes evaluations and gives comments on students’ performance. Through feedback, students know that there is something wrong or unsatisfactory about their performance. As Krashen (1982) points out that students must be favorable disposed toward language learning before language acquisition take place.

So far many teachers still do not consider the students’ feeling in providing feedback and cause “wrong way” feedback (Irons, 2008) such as saying the words “stupid” for student who makes some mistakes; therefore it will offend the students and discourage them in learning. Hedge (2003) states that teacher must be aware of “When to push and when to stop” students’ performance. Furthermore, Cathcart and Olsen (1976) conduct a survey which shows 149 learners have preference for correction of all errors that they made, however the students feel irritated when the teacher correct the errors intensively. Tsui (1995) adds that students in the junior high school (12-15 years old) have certain psychological characteristic, they are sensitive to criticism; therefore they will easily get offended. Supported by Brown et al. (1997) that Feedback are one of the “better tested principles in psychology”.

Providing feedback for students’ performance is one of the important aspects of teaching. Positive feedback is also useful to increase students’ motivation in learning and build a supportive classroom situation, thus it will promote students to have more participation in every classroom activity (Irons, 2008). Moreover Chaudron (1988, p. 132) adds that Feedback from teacher as a correction is a kind of interaction between students-students and/ or teacher-students. Tsui (1995, p. 43) argues that teacher who values every contribution and provides encouraging feedback is much easier to get students’ motivation to learn and more participation in classroom activities, and it really helps to create a warm classroom atmosphere in learning-teaching process. Therefore, this study will examine the teacher’s contribution on providing oral feebackon students’ performance.

This paper seeks to address these following questions:

1. What type of oral feedback does the teacher give to respond to the students’ performance?

2. What is the teacher’s reason in giving oral feedback on the students’ performance?

Despite the weakness that probably existed in this study, it is hoped that this study would give insight into the use of feedback in responding students’ learning for teachers who want to do their job well; since many teacher provide some “wrong” feedback. In addition, this study would be useful to other researcher who would like to study similar topic.

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