Education Committee Teaching Tip of the Month

'Giving Feedback to Students'

Written by Olivia Murray (University of Edinburgh)

Feedback is provided to students at many points throughout their educational journey and across a variety of learning environments. One of the most challenging contexts for educators is the delivery of verbal feedback. Because this form of feedback involves direct, personal interaction, it requires careful consideration. If not managed effectively, such interactions can quickly become uncomfortable for both the educator and the student.

In seeking to improve both the fluidity of my interactions with students and the quality of the feedback I provided, I was introduced to Pendleton’s Model of feedback (Pendleton, 1984). This model promotes student-led reflection by encouraging learners to evaluate their own performance before receiving external input. It places emphasis on recognising strengths while also constructively identifying areas for improvement, supporting a balanced and reflective approach to learning.

Pendletons Model of Feedback

Image adapted from Pendleton (1984).

The cycle begins by ensuring the student is ready to receive feedback. This helps establish psychological safety, supports mental preparedness, and respects personal boundaries. By doing so, feedback is more readily received and understood, fostering a collaborative, constructive, and growth-oriented dialogue.

It progresses by seeking to understand the context in which the student’s assessment took place. This stage allows the student to share their perspective, including their understanding of the assessment, how they felt it went, and any relevant factors that may have influenced their performance.

The next step provides an opportunity for both student and teacher to identify areas of strength. Reinforcing strengths can enhance motivation, engagement, and confidence. By exploring the student’s perspective on their performance, the teacher gains insight into how they view successes, helping tailor feedback. For instance, if a student feels confident in an area I thought needed improvement, I can reframe feedback in a more constructive and receptive way.

Next the model guides the conversation towards identifying points for development. When students identify their own areas for improvement, they take ownership of their weaknesses, which reduces defensiveness and encourages reflective practice. In addition, the teacher can build on their self-assessment rather than surprising them with an extensive list of feedback.

The model concludes with the development of a plan for improvement. The role of the educator here is key as appropriate resources can be identified and alignment created with the course or module goals. This action plan will be specific to the student and provide future reference points for the teacher to check in with.

The advantage of this model over approaches such as the feedback sandwich or CEDAR lies in its capacity to consider the context in which assessment occured and to promote student reflection. The importance of self-assessment should not be underestimated, as students often already know the areas they need to improve upon. This approach allows them to take ownership of their development while simultaneously strengthening their reflective skills.

References 

Pendleton, D. (1984). The Consultation: An Approach to Learning and Teaching. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Pendleton, D., Schofield, T., Tate, P. and Havelock, P., 2003. The new consultation: developing doctor-patient communication. OUP Oxford.

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The Symington Bequest Travel Fund

The Trustees of the Symington Bequest Fund make grants to Society Members towards costs associated with anatomical research. Below is a report from a recent awardee.

Round 5 of Academic Year 2024/2025

Dr Dhamyaa AL-Halboosi - to participate in the 2025 British Society for Neuroendocrinology (BSN) Meeting, Bradford, 31.08.25 to 03.09.25. REPORT

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22^nd Congress of the International Federation of Associations of Anatomists (IFAA), 13^th-16^th August 2026, Melbourne, Australia

Call for Abstracts has NOW been extended until the 28th of February 2026!

This is an opportunity to share our work, insights, and innovations with a global audience of colleagues and thought leaders in anatomy and related fields, including:

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Extended Submission Deadline: Saturday 28 February 2026, 23:59 (AEDT).

Submit your abstract and learn more: https://ifaa2026.org/en-AU/pages/program/call-for-abstracts

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For a summary of many of the published articles check out @JournalofAnat. As a member of the Anatomical Society you have access to these articles and to the Journal of Anatomy through Wiley Online Library. 

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The cover image for the latest issue is from a paper by R. Carter, titled ‘A computational model of pinna tubercle aerodynamics in the fast-flying bat, Tadarida brasiliensis’

The study aimed to determine whether leading-edge tubercles on the pinna of the bat Tadarida brasiliensis improve aerodynamic performance, and it found that the tubercles enhanced efficiency by reducing drag near stall and increasing lift post-stall through the generation of streamwise vortices.

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The cover image for the journal's February issue is shown below and is titled: 'Face and leading edges of the pinnae of the Tadarida brasiliensis specimen'

Aging Cell

Aging Cell is a bi-monthly peer-reviewed, open access journal that aims to publish the highest quality, innovative research addressing fundamental issues in the biology of aging.  We would like to remind you that our colleagues Aging Cell are now back on Twitter and sharing exciting news and updates on articles from their journal. Please give them a follow @aging_cell

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The cover image for this month is based on the article 'Astronauts as a Human Aging Model: Epigenetic Age Responses to Space Exposure' by Matías Fuentealba et al. (2026)

The study aimed to determine whether spaceflight accelerates biological aging using DNA methylation-based age metrics, and it found that astronauts experienced rapid but reversible epigenetic age acceleration during flight that returned to or below pre-flight levels after returning to Earth.

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