FEEDBACK CULTURE IN UNIVERSITY CLASSROOMS: A FOUNDATION FOR INNOVATION AND STUDENT SKILL DEVELOPMENT

Abstract

Feedback is an important component of teaching and learning in higher education. However, feedback should not be understood merely as one-way transmission of information; rather, it should be viewed as a dialogic process embedded in the culture of the educational institution. This article approaches feedback culture as a system of collective values, norms, and practices that shape how feedback is provided and used in the classroom. Based on a synthesis of international studies, the article argues that a positive feedback culture can promote student engagement, develop critical thinking and self-regulation, and foster essential 21st-century skills. Studies in Vietnam indicate that feedback practices remain largely instructor-led and summative, focusing more on evaluating final outcomes than on guiding the learning process. In addition, the use of technology to support feedback remains limited, while encouraging and empathetic forms of feedback have not yet received sufficient attention. To build a feedback culture in higher education, the article proposes multi-level solutions: training instructors in dialogic and empathetic feedback skills; developing students’ capacity to receive, interpret, and act on feedback; establishing two-way evaluation mechanisms; and using digital platforms to sustain continuous feedback. These analyses emphasize that building a sustainable feedback culture is not only a prerequisite for innovation in teaching and learning but also a means of equipping students with essential skills in the context of globalization and digital transformation.