Comparative analysis of feedback practices in blended and traditional classroom environments: A quantitative observational study

Feedback is among the most powerful influences on student learning, yet the capacity to deliver individualised feedback is typically constrained by class size. This exploratory study compared verbal feedback practices in two low-fee schooling settings in Cape Town: a 100-student blended learning environment with one qualified teacher and two facilitators supported by technology-mediated instruction, and a 42-student face-to-face classroom with a single educator. Systematic observation of 278 feedback instances examined interaction duration, frequency per learner, feedback type distribution, audience targeting, and spatial coverage. The face-to-face setting produced more frequent interactions per learner, but the blended setting showed substantially longer interactions, greater academic feedback time per learner, a higher proportion of academic feedback types, and fewer behavioural management interactions, all with large effect sizes. The findings indicate that multi-facilitator configurations may be associated with different feedback allocation patterns in large classrooms. Whether such process differences translate to learning outcomes was not measured and requires further investigation.