The use of factor analysis and abductive inference to explore students’ and practitioners’ perspectives of feedback: divergent or congruent understanding?

BACKGROUND: The importance of feedback in workplace-based settings cannot be underestimated. Approaches that evaluate feedback reflect either the sender’s or receiver’s viewpoint in isolation of each other. This study investigated prevailing student and practitioner views of feedback resulting from development and testing of a survey about feedback. METHOD: This study used a cross-sectional design, incorporating use of expert consultation and factor analysis of surveys. Fifty-two items based on identified attributes for effective feedback from current research were developed and reviewed through expert consultation. Surveys developed from the items were completed by students (n = 209) and practitioners (n = 145). The juxtaposition of items based on students’ and practitioners’ responses to the surveys were examined through use of exploratory factor analysis. RESULTS: Separate student and practitioner surveys resulted. Each survey contained 23 items that clustered into factors. The item statements were different across practitioner and student groups Only nine items were shared across factors identified for both groups. The resulting factors represented different notions of feedback—namely, practitioners had a process-oriented focus in comparison with students’ outcome focus. CONCLUSION: While students and practitioners view feedback differently this does not necessarily mean they are incongruous. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12909-020-02378-w.