Hui Ting CHNG¹, Mark Joo Seng GAN², Eric Chun Yong CHAN¹, Derek WONG³, Misty COOK⁴, Wenqian CHEN¹, Kooi Cheng LEE⁴

¹Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Faculty of Science
²Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology (CTLT)
³Center for Language Education, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST)
⁴Centre for English Language Communication (CELC)

This TEG Learning Improvement Project (TEG-LIP) explores the emotional reactions of students to feedback, emphasising the importance of understanding these emotions in the educational context. It presents findings from a study involving pharmacy students and highlights key lessons for instructors and supervisors on providing effective feedback.

Chng, H. T., Gan, M. J. S., Chan, E. C. Y., Wong, D., Wai-Cook, M. S. S., Chen, W. Q., & Lee, K. C. (2025). Students’ emotional reactions to feedback. CTLT Teaching Connections.  https://blog.nus.edu.sg/teachingconnections/2025/04/28/2025-chnght-et-al/

 

As instructors and supervisors, to most if not all of us, providing constructive feedback to students is an integral part of teaching and student learning. However, have we as instructors and supervisors considered our students’ or supervisees’ emotions when they receive feedback from us? What are their reactions in light of these emotions invoked and how would their emotions affect learning? We share some lessons learned from a small study we conducted.

Academic emotions, or emotions associated with experiences in the teaching and learning process, have been found to affect student engagement, instruction, academic performance, learning, and the overall emotions related to achievement (Pekrun & Linnenbrink-Garcia, 2012; Pekrun & Perry, 2014). These emotions, known as epistemic and social emotions, could be expressed and understood among others as joy, anxiety, surprise, awe, and trust (Han & Hyland, 2019). This is especially highlighted in close supervisor-supervisee relationships such as those in the context of undergraduate final year projects (FYP), and graduate-level theses and dissertations.

In our study, we investigated eight pharmacy students’ emotions elicited during feedback episodes provided by two disciplinary supervisors and two language instructors during their one semester long FYP. We deductively coded recorded feedback sessions and simulated recall semi-structured interviews by adapting Han and Hyland’s (2019) method.

Here are three key lessons we learned.

 

Lesson 1: Build positive relationships

The top three emotions based on frequency counts that students recalled feeling are trust, gratitude, and relief. These findings reveal much about the dynamics of feedback sessions. Trust emerged as a critical factor, underscoring the importance of establishing a supportive and reliable relationship between supervisor/instructor and student. When students trust their supervisors/instructors, they are more likely to view feedback positively and feel reassured about their progress. Gratitude often followed constructive feedback, reflecting students’ appreciation for guidance that clarified their doubts and enhanced their projects. Relief was another common emotion, likely stemming from the resolution of uncertainties and the affirmation that they were on the right track. This is especially since students also expressed confusion during these feedback sessions.

This finding on emotions, most expressed by the FYP students, reminds us of the importance of building a positive relationship with our supervisees/students. The power dynamics of supervisor-supervisee relationships that could lead to anxiety and stress to students when they receive feedback should also be well noted.

 

Lesson 2: Facilitate understanding of feedback literacy

These varied emotional responses, especially negative ones such as anxiety, disappointment, and confusion, highlight the nuanced role of feedback in student experience and learning. Constructive feedback, when delivered with empathy and clarity, can transform a student’s approach to their project, turning anxiety into motivation and self-doubt into a quest for improvement. However, the same feedback, if perceived as harsh or unsupportive, can lead to increased stress and disengagement.

Therefore, our role as supervisors/instructors extends beyond merely assessing work. We must also facilitate an enhanced understanding of feedback literacy which includes nurturing a supportive environment that fosters positive academic emotions. This is aligned with the creation of an atmosphere where students feel safe to express their concerns and uncertainties.

 

Lesson 3: Seek first to understand, then to be understood

The profound influence that feedback has on student learning should not be undermined. It is not just about the information conveyed, but also about how it is conveyed, received and internalised by students. What we found in our study is that students responded differently to different approaches – employed by respective supervisors/instructors. One of the supervisors/instructors in our study would start the feedback session by acknowledging the strengths of students’ work before providing specific feedback on areas of improvement. During the session, he/she would intermittently check if students were following the discussion. In order to establish a safe environment for open discussion, another supervisor/instructor communicates to his/her students that they are here to learn together. Therefore, by understanding and addressing the emotional dimensions of academic work, we can better support our students in navigating the challenges in their academic journey. Furthermore, we must recognise that the same approach that we use in giving feedback may induce different emotions and responses from different students, highlighting the complex interplay between emotions, personalities and how feedback is delivered.

In summary, there is a myriad of positive and negative emotions our study participants experienced when they received feedback from their respective supervisors/instructors. Nonetheless, what is clear to us is that students would respond positively when they sense a genuine interest for their learning.

 

Acknowledgement

The authors would like to thank the Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology (CTLT) for the Teaching Enhancement Grant (TEG) Learning Improvement Project support.

 

Ethics

The study was reviewed and approved to conduct research at NUS by the Learning and Analytics Committee on Ethics (LACE) (reference number: L2022-07-07).

 

References

Han, Y., & Hyland, F. (2019). Academic emotions in written corrective feedback situations. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 38, 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2018.12.003

Pekrun, R., & Perry, R.P. (2014). Control-Value Theory of Achievement Emotions. In R. Pekrun & L. Linnenbrink-Garcia (Eds.), International Handbook of Emotions in Education (pp. 120-141). New York: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203148211

Pekrun, R., & Linnenbrink-Garcia, L. (2012). Academic emotions and student engagement. In S.L. Christenson, A.L. Reschly, & C. Wylie (Eds.), Handbook of Research on Student Engagement (pp. 259-282). Springer Science + Business Media. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-2018-7_12

 

---

	Hui Ting CHNG is a Senior Lecturer with the Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the Faculty of Science (FoS). She is a dynamic and passionate educator, with the expertise to integrate pharmacy practice and pharmaceutical sciences, and the arts and sciences. In class, she is a proponent of active and collaborative learning. Outside of class, she is actively engaged in mentoring student co-curricular activities. Hui Ting can be reached at phacht@nus.edu.sg.
	Mark Joo Seng GAN is an Associate Director of the Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology (CTLT) and a Resident Fellow at Helix House. As an academic developer, he has been involved in a wide variety of initiatives and programmes to enhance professional development of staff within faculties, schools and beyond. Some of the key programmes include the Development of a Teaching Portfolio for growth and promotion purposes, a teacher mentorship programme, setting up of Learning Communities and the Affiliates Programme on Educational leadership. His research interests lie in the areas of feedback and assessment, reflective practice and the impact of academic development work on teaching quality. Mark can be reached at mark.gan@nus.edu.sg.
	Eric Chun Yong CHAN is a Professor with the Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, FoS. His goal is to be an inspirational teacher who encourages, supports and challenges his students. He wants to be remembered for his exceptional teaching skills and for empowering his students to be actively engaged in their own learning. Eric can be reached at phaccye@nus.edu.sg.
	Derek WONG is a Lecturer with the Center for Language Education at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST,) specialising in science and engineering communication. Having taught in universities in Singapore and Hong Kong, he strives to apply his cross-cultural communication skills in his classroom. He is currently pursuing an EdD, focusing on teacher self-efficacy. Derek can be reached at lcderekwong@ust.hk.
	Misty So-Sum Wai-COOK is Deputy Director and Senior Lecturer at the Centre for English Language Communication (CELC). She strives to motivate and challenge students to see the value of what they learn and transfer the knowledge and skills to a range of academic contexts at NUS and beyond. Misty can be reached at elcmsw@nus.edu.sg.
	Wenqian CHEN is an assistant professor at the Department of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences at NUS. His research focuses on protein and peptide crystallization for formulation and purification purposes in the pharmaceutical industry. Wenqian is also a keen educator who focuses on the experiential learning approach. Wenqian can be reached at wen.chen@nus.edu.sg.
	Kooi Cheng LEE is Associate Professor with Centre for English Language Communication (CELC). While her main interests are in the use of technology in (English) language teaching and learning, and assessments, she also has a keen interest in the impact of experiential learning and living-learning programmes on undergraduate students’ university experience. Kooi Cheng can be reached at elcleekc@nus.edu.sg.