Effect of formative feedback on Human Anatomy Learning: A Mixed-Methods Study on Student Perceptions and Academic Performance

Arroyo, Noelia; Quizás, Constanza; Rubilar, Jorge; Salinas, Paulo

doi:10.3389/feduc.2025.1471254

ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Educ.

Sec. Assessment, Testing and Applied Measurement

Volume 10 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/feduc.2025.1471254

Effect of formative feedback on Human Anatomy Learning: A Mixed-Methods Study on Student Perceptions and Academic Performance

Provisionally accepted

Noelia Arroyo ¹

Constanza Quizás ¹

Jorge Rubilar ²

Paulo Salinas ^1*

¹ Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaiso, Chile
² Temuco Catholic University, Temuco, Araucania, Chile

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

Background: Formative feedback (FF) is a key pedagogical tool in anatomy education, aiming to enhance learning by fostering self-regulation, motivation, and conceptual understanding. However, its effectiveness in improving academic performance remains inconclusive. Objective: This study investigates the impact of FF on student perceptions and academic performance in an undergraduate anatomy course using a mixed-methods approach. Methods: A convergent parallel design was employed, integrating qualitative and quantitative analyses.Qualitative data from open-ended questionnaires and focus groups were analyzed through thematic coding using ATLAS.ti, resulting in 140 initial codes, later refined into 34 key themes. A coding network was constructed to map students' perceptions. Quantitative analysis compared students' pre-and post-feedback academic performance using paired Student's ttestsin GraphPad Prism 9.0. Results: Qualitative findings indicate that students perceive FF as beneficial for reinforcing anatomical concepts, improving study techniques, and fostering self-regulated learning. However, concerns about superficiality, lack of specificity, and cognitive overload were frequently mentioned. Quantitative analysis revealed no significant differencesin grades before and after FF implementation, suggesting that while FF is valued by students, it does not necessarily translate into measurable academic gains in the short term. Conclusion: FF positively impacts student engagement, motivation, and learning strategies, yet its academic benefits may depend on feedback structure, specificity, and integration into assessment frameworks. Enhancing dialogic and visually supported feedback mechanisms may optimize FF's effectiveness in anatomy education.

Keywords: Formative feedback, Anatomy education, academic performance, Student perception, higher education

Received: 26 Jul 2024; Accepted: 17 Feb 2025.

Copyright: © 2025 Arroyo, Quizás, Rubilar and Salinas. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

* Correspondence: Paulo Salinas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaiso, Chile

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