Teacher feedback in problem-oriented mathematics teaching–theoretical considerations and empirical findings

Feedback is widely recognized as one of the most influential factors in student learning success. While it is acknowledged that subject-specificity also plays a significant part, there are still only a few models for analyzing feedback based on the characteristics of individual disciplines. Furthermore, many well-known models have not been developed or tested specifically in a classroom setting. Our goal was therefore to develop a tool for analyzing teacher feedback in mathematics teaching. To this end, we videotaped lessons on problem-oriented mathematics teaching in primary school, as solving mathematical problems is particularly challenging for primary school students and requires more specific feedback from teachers. We analyzed these lessons based on levels of feedback and feedback level-specific categories from established feedback models. In doing so, the analysis tool developed could be inductively supplemented with additional feedback level-specific categories, enabling a detailed analysis of teacher feedback. The analysis tool developed was found to be effective in achieving satisfactory levels of intercoder agreement. This will enable future analyses of patterns and practices in teacher feedback.