Effects of Feedback on Students’ Motor Skill Learning in Physical Education: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Objectives: Feedback is an essential factor that may affect students’ motor skill learning during physical education (PE) classes. This review aimed to (1) systematically examine the evidence for the effectiveness of feedback on students’ skill learning during PE classes and (2) summarize the evidence for the effects of feedback elements (i.e., format and content). Methods: A systematic search was conducted on seven electronic databases to identify studies that explored the effects of feedback on student learning during PE classes. Twenty-three studies were selected, and the study quality was evaluated using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database scale. The levels of evidence were determined with the best evidence synthesis. Results: Strong evidence indicates the effectiveness of feedback intervention on students’ skill learning compared with those who received no feedback. Limited evidence was found for the effect of visual feedback compared with verbal feedback. There were mixed results for the effectiveness of information feedback compared with praise or corrective feedback. Conclusion: The current evidence suggests that feedback is useful for skill learning during PE classes. Emergent questions still need to be addressed, such as those regarding the efficiency of using different formats and contents for feedback delivery to enhance motor skill learning during PE classes.