Conceptual feedback significantly reduces the effect of prior knowledge on achievement¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · causal r2 · q3
Currency · newest study 2026 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i? A significant negative interaction between pretest score and conceptual feedback group indicates that prior knowledge mattered far less for achievement when students received conceptual feedback. → Fynn Töllner 2026

Evidence¶

Fynn Töllner 2026¶

Fynn Töllner, Poldi Kuhl, Michael Besser. (2026). Feedback complexities interact with prior knowledge. Learning and Instruction 105 (2026) 102413. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2026.102413

q3 · i? · causal · r2

Interaction analysis in the N = 190 multilevel model: the conceptual feedback × pretest interaction was significant (estimate −0.609, p = .046), approximately cancelling the pretest effect (0.623), so an additional correctly solved pretest task translated to only 0.014 additional posttest tasks in that group.

"An analysis of the interactions of the feedback groups with the pretest score revealed a significant interaction only for the conceptual feedback group."

Discussion¶

Learner Variables¶

• Prior Knowledge — moderator: an instructional effect differs with it

Related Claims¶

• No significant interaction between condition and pre-test knowledge on learning outcomes in either topic — reports the opposite
• Elaborated conceptual and procedural feedback are significantly more conducive to learning than no feedback, while KR feedback is not — related
• For introductory biology students with low topic-specific prior knowledge, problem-solving-first (PS-I) outperformed instruction-first (I-PS) on a near-transfer test — related
• Prior Knowledge Determines New Learning — related