Feedback Practices: A Comparison of New Zealand and China

The results indicate that the format of feedback is similar between New Zealand and China, with both countries using a combination of written and verbal feedback, as well as online and offline feedback, depending on the context and preferences of the students and teachers. However, the content and purpose of feedback differ significantly between the two countries, reflecting the cultural and educational traditions of each country. In New Zealand, feedback is seen as a formative and developmental process that aims to support and enhance the students' learning outcomes, motivation, and engagement. Therefore, the feedback is personalized, specific, constructive, and supportive, and provides actionable suggestions and resources for improvement. In contrast, in China, feedback is seen as a summative and evaluative process that aims to assess and quantify the students' performance and progress, and to rank and compare them with their peers. Therefore, the feedback is often more general, critical, and directive, and focuses on the students' weaknesses and areas for improvement, rather than their strengths and achievements. Additionally, in China, feedback is often provided by the teacher or authority figure, rather than being a collaborative process between the teacher and student.