THE ROLE OF FEEDBACK-RICH COMMUNICATION IN ENHANCING STUDENT ENGAGEMENT

Abstract

In modern education, student engagement is acknowledged as a multifaceted construct that includes behavioral, emotional, and cognitive participation in the learning process. Research consistently demonstrates that feedback is a significant determinant of student achievement; however, in numerous classrooms, feedback is infrequently provided, delayed, and primarily unidirectional, thereby diminishing its effectiveness on engagement. This article conceptualizes feedback-rich communication as an integrated pattern of high-frequency, dialogic, multimodal, and feedforward-oriented exchanges between teachers and students, building on previous work in formative assessment, feedback literacy, and dialogic feedback. The research is founded on a narrative review of empirical and theoretical literature concerning feedback and engagement within educational settings, both in schools and higher education. The analysis delineates various mechanisms by which feedback-rich communication augments behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement: elucidating objectives and quality standards, facilitating self-regulation, bolstering relational trust, and fostering opportunities for learner voice and agency. Digital technologies and AI-based tools enhance the temporal and spatial dimensions of feedback; however, they concurrently present novel challenges concerning workload, emotional climate, and equity. The conversation emphasizes the necessity of fostering feedback literacy among teachers and students, crafting assessment sequences that establish iterative feedback loops, and nurturing classroom environments where learners proactively seek, interpret, and utilize feedback. The article concludes that feedback-rich communication should not be regarded as a mere technique but as a pedagogical framework that reconceptualizes feedback as an ongoing social process central to engaged learning.