Turning feedback into action for learners who need it most

25 June 2026

Emma Mills is Head of Teaching and Learning Development at Truro and Penwith College and Strategic Lead for the Education Endowment Foundation's 16–19 Evidence Partnership. Having worked in further education for almost two decades, she is passionate about supporting teachers to use evidence-informed approaches that improve outcomes for learners. Emma's work focuses on educational equity, professional development and ensuring that research evidence translates into meaningful improvements in classroom practice, particularly for learners facing barriers to success.

Emma Mills

Head of teaching and learning development, Truro and Penwith College

Why Feedback Matters

Feedback consistently ranks among the most impactful approaches in the EEF's Teaching and Learning Toolkit, with the potential to accelerate learner progress when implemented effectively. The EEF's Feedback strand highlights both the power of feedback and the importance of how it is implemented in practice.

Yet, despite its strong evidence base, a common challenge remains: learners do not always act on the feedback they receive. As teachers, our focus should not simply be on giving feedback, but on ensuring that feedback leads to learning.

Through the EEF's 16–19 Evidence Partnership, we are increasingly exploring how evidence-informed approaches can be adapted to meet the unique needs of further education learners and contexts. The Partnership is helping colleges engage critically with evidence and consider how findings from research can be translated into effective practice for post-16 learners.

Feedback and Disadvantage

This challenge feels particularly relevant in further education, where many learners are balancing significant barriers alongside their studies. In Cornwall, as in many rural and coastal communities, learners may face long travel times, financial pressures, caring responsibilities or limited access to opportunities and networks. For learners who have experienced previous educational challenges, confidence can often be as significant a barrier as knowledge or skills.

Effective feedback has the potential to address both.

Research suggests that feedback is most effective when it is specific, focused on improvement and provides clear guidance on the next steps learners should take. However, feedback is about far more than written comments or verbal advice.

A useful way to think about feedback is whether it helps learners understand three simple things: What am I trying to achieve? How am I doing so far? What should I do next? If learners cannot answer these questions, feedback is unlikely to have the desired impact (Hattie and Timperley, 2007).

What Does This Look Like in Context?

This insight is particularly relevant for GCSE English and maths resit learners. Across the FE sector, many resit learners arrive carrying a history of disappointment and low confidence in these subjects. Traditional approaches to feedback can unintentionally reinforce this, particularly when learners receive extensive corrections or multiple areas for improvement at once.

Instead, evidence-informed practice suggests a different approach. Rather than identifying everything that could be improved, teachers focus on the most important next step and create opportunities for learners to act on it immediately.

For example, in a GCSE English resit lesson, a learner may have successfully selected a relevant quotation but not fully explained its significance. Rather than highlighting several weaknesses, the teacher first acknowledges what has been done well before providing one focused improvement target: developing analysis of the quotation. Learners are then given dedicated improvement time to redraft the paragraph immediately, applying the feedback while it remains fresh and actionable.

This approach reflects an important principle from the EEF'sTeacher Feedback to Improve Pupil Learning guidance: feedback is most effective when learners have opportunities to use it.

In our own context, teachers have reported that learners appear more willing to engage with feedback when improvement targets are focused and manageable. Anecdotally, this approach has helped shift feedback conversations from identifying errors towards recognising progress and next steps.

Creating Opportunities to Act

In practice, effective feedback requires planning not only what feedback will be given, but also how learners will engage with it. Dedicated improvement and reflection time, opportunities to redraft work and structured peer discussion can all help transform feedback from information into learning.

This is particularly important because feedback is often only as effective as the opportunities learners have to respond to it. A beautifully written comment has little value if the learner never revisits their work.

For teachers, this may mean reducing the volume of feedback provided and increasing the time learners spend acting upon it.

From Feedback to Independence

The EEF's feedback guidance also highlights the close relationship between feedback, self-regulationHow children monitor their emotions and thoughts, and adapt their behaviour in different circumstances. and learner independence. When learners understand what success looks like and can identify the steps needed to achieve it, they are more likely to take ownership of their learning.

For learners experiencing socio-economic disadvantage, this clarity can be especially important. Feedback helps make expectations visible, reduces uncertainty and supports learners to experience success through incremental improvement. Over time, this can contribute not only to improved attainment but also to greater confidence, resilience and self-belief.

However, evidence-informed practice also requires critical reflection. Feedback is not a silver bullet. Its effectiveness depends on learner motivation, trust in the teacher and, crucially,

opportunities to act upon it. Simply providing more feedback is unlikely to improve outcomes. Great teaching requires us to think carefully about the conditions that allow feedback to be used.

A Challenge for Practitioners

Before your next lesson, consider:

  • Do learners know what they have done well?
  • Is the feedback focused on the most important next step?
  • Have learners been given time to act on the feedback?
  • Can learners clearly explain what they need to do next?

Small changes to these questions can make a significant difference. Feedback is not simply about providing information; it is about creating opportunities for learners to improve. When feedback becomes action, learning follows.

References

Education Endowment Foundation (2021). Teacher Feedback to Improve Pupil Learning: Guidance Report.https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/education-evidence/guidance-reports/feedback

Education Endowment Foundation (2025). Teaching and Learning Toolkit: Feedback. Available at: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/education-evidence/teaching-learning-toolkit/feedback

Hattie, J. and Timperley, H. (2007). The Power of Feedback. Review of Educational Research, 77(1), pp. 81–112.