Feedback, reflection and psychological safety
Rethinking assessment for student well-being in higher education
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 19379341 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Michael Mcguire (0009-0009-0980-2978, Glasgow Caledonian University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 51 |
| Issue | 3 |
| Pages | 532-556 |
| Publication date | 2026-04-03 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0260-2938 • E-ISSN: 1469-297X |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/02602938.2025.2548590 |
| OpenAlex | W4413791580 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 4 |
| References cited | 49 |
This study investigates how structured, timely and emotionally intelligent feedback can support both cognitive development and emotional regulation within a competition-based learning (CBL) framework in higher education. Specifically, it asks whether feedback-rich, low-stakes assessment models can reduce anxiety and enhance learner engagement in practice-based disciplines. Using longitudinal action research across four academic cycles (2021–2024), data were collected from 73 students and 19 educators via performance scores, surveys, learning analytics and reflective journals. Results showed consistent reductions in assessment-related anxiety, greater student motivation and improved self-regulation, with five key themes emerging. The model repositions feedback as a developmental mechanism, rather than a judgmental one, highlighting its role in fostering learner agency and wellbeing. These findings offer a scalable assessment approach that warrants further exploration across diverse disciplines and institutional settings
Higher education · Mathematics education · Medical education · Pedagogy · Political science · Psychotherapist · Well-being · Applied Psychology · Computer Science · Educational and Psychological Assessments · Evaluation of Teaching Practices · Medicine · Psychology · Student Assessment and Feedback
Dialogue in action
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Can GenAI help undergraduate students become independent writers? An intervention study on its effects on writing motivation, feedback literacy, and self-regulated learning strategies
Do they measure the same thing? A comparative analysis of teacher conceptions of assessment inventories in China
The Action Research Planner
The Reflective Practitioner
The Action Research Dissertation
Cognitive Test Anxiety and Academic Performance
Making Sense of Assessment Feedback in Higher Education
A five-dimensional framework for authentic assessment
The relation of strength of stimulus to rapidity of habit‐formation
The Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS)
Students' perceptions and outcome of teacher feedback
Conceptualizations and instructional strategies on critical thinking in higher education
A review of the benefits and drawbacks of high-stakes final examinations in higher education
Internet, Phone, Mail, and Mixed‐Mode Surveys
Student wellbeing and assessment in higher education
The power of internal feedback
How to close the learning circle? Students’ perspectives on how programmatic assessment influences self-regulated learning in a global online programme
Beyond feedback
Integrative assessment
Researching feedback dialogue
Rethinking models of feedback for learning
Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being
The development of student feedback literacy
Action Research and Minority Problems
Survey response rate levels and trends in organizational research
Using thematic analysis in psychology
The "What" and "Why" of Goal Pursuits
Goals
Teachers' use of fear appeals in the Mathematics classroom
It'd be useful, but I wouldn't use it
Thematic Analysis
| Citations per year | 4 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |