Comparing Feedback Practices in Higher Education: Perspectives from Academics and Students in the UK and Saudi Arabia

This full research paper compares the perspectives of academics and students on feedback practices in computer science higher education across two distinct contexts: the United Kingdom (UK) and Saudi Arabia (KSA). The study examines the frequency of feedback types, delivery preferences, current practices, and student engagement and interest in feedback. A mixed methods approach was used with 340 participants (students: 186 KSA, 67 UK; academics: 72 KSA, 15 UK), using questionnaires available in both English and Arabic. The results indicate that summative feedback is the most common, with a general preference for electronic textual formats. KSA feedback was viewed as more encouraging, while the UK feedback emphasized clarity and alignment with the assessment criteria. However, detailed feedback was often lacking. Mann-Whitney <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">$U$</tex> tests revealed significant differences <tex xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">$(p&lt;0.05)$</tex> in perceived current practices and engagement. KSA instructors rated their practices more positively than the UK instructors and their students. Additionally, students and instructors in both regions differed in how they perceived student engagement with feedback. Qualitative analysis identified four key challenges: feedback quality, communication barriers, fairness concerns, and time constraints. These findings underscore the role of cultural and institutional contexts and point to the need for inclusive and improvement-oriented feedback systems. The study also offers pedagogical insights to support a more effective feedback design in CS education.