Abstract:
Technology learners require formative feedback from their teachers to aid them in structuring and
solving design problems. Without such feedback, learners often do not explore sub-problems and
are inclined to reproduce known and existing solutions. Due to a paucity of literature on formative
feedback in technology classrooms, this study investigated the formative feedback types that
teachers provide to learners during the problem-structuring and problem-solving phases. A
qualitative case study design was employed to investigate such feedback from five technology
teachers who supported their learners in solving ill-structured design problems. The findings
indicate that teachers’ formative feedback consists predominantly of low-level questions, while
generative design questions and low-level comments were the least observed. A deeper
understanding of how formative feedback unfolds in a technology classroom may help teachers
guide learners through problem structuring and solving. Further research is needed to determine
the influence of formative feedback on learners’ design outcomes.
