Data and Python script for research article in CP
Feedback is a complex dialogic and sociomaterial practice shaped by institutional norms, digital affordances and various contextual factors. Although it is widely recognised as vital for academic development, students’ and academics’ attitudes and perspectives on feedback remain underexplored. This study investigates appraisal strategies in social media discourse and academic writing by analysing the use of attitude, engagement and graduation markers in over 5,000 posts and comments on r/college and 100 peer-reviewed research articles on feedback. It adopts a mixed-methods approach combining advanced statistical modelling and qualitative appraisal analysis to identify salient register-specific patterns.
The findings reveal that social media discourse is predominantly attitude-driven, with students using attitudinal resources to engage in joint emotion regulation when processing past feedback experiences. This appraisal strategy encourages affiliative alignment and reflects the interactive and emotionally engaged nature of online discussions with peers. In contrast, academic writing is characterised by engagement-driven variation, with scholars employing expansive and contractive resources to negotiate disciplinary interpretations of feedback. Educational researchers frequently combine positive appreciation, entertain and focus markers to evaluate conceptualisations of feedback and its processes.
The study confirms the emotional impact of feedback, with students expressing a preference for clear, empathetic, actionable comments, while frustration arises from vagueness, unfairness or excessive criticism. Academics view feedback as a structured discursive process that should be constructive, evidence-based and compliant with disciplinary norms, and recommend transparency, justification and cultural responsiveness. Recognising both standpoints can inform teaching practices that successfully balance emotional sensitivity with goal-oriented guidance.
