This study has made a serious attempt to uncover in which domains of feedback misperceptions arise during the mentoring process of feedback by means of reciprocal communication between mentors and...Show moreThis study has made a serious attempt to uncover in which domains of feedback misperceptions arise during the mentoring process of feedback by means of reciprocal communication between mentors and their students, what possible causes are of these misperceptions, and which effect this miscommunication has on the actual usage of feedback. The domains have been examined regarding differences and possible mutual relations between and within the student populations, as well as between the student populations and their corresponding mentors. Feedback functions as a powerful instrument when it is actually brought into practice by the students to progress and develop themselves towards academic and social maturity during their self regulated study process. However, during the past few years the problem has gradually come to the surface that the received feedback is interpretated by the students in a different manner than apparently was meant by the teacher of mentor. This difference in perception of the given and received feedback has therefore been studied in detail by this study, because of its crucial importance in the student’s self regulated learning process. In line with this is studied which part four different mentoring styles play in this communication process, as well as which elements enhance the ultimate usage of the received feedback. The study comprised four third-year groups (two MBO groups and two HBO groups) with a total of 68 students (37 MBO Teaching Assistant students and 31 HBO Teacher Primary School students) and their four corresponding mentors of a secondary and a higher vocational school in the province of North Holland, The Netherlands. The educational settings of all groups studied were identical, namely based on the internships of the students. Of the four groups and their corresponding four mentors, three groups and their three mentors showed significant differences in perception concerning various feedback domains, while the perception of the mentoring styles were significantly different between all four groups and their four corresponding mentors. Clarity is marked by both student populations as the most important influencer of the usage of feedback. Both the MBO as the HBO students indicated the mentoring style Imperator to have a positive effect on Clarity. The two groups MBO students recognized in their mentors the mentoring style Imperator, and at the same time the MBO students indicated the mentoring style Imperator to have a significant influence on the actual usage of feedback. The two groups HBO students recognized in their mentors the mentoring style Initiator, and the way the mentoring styles are perceived by the HBO students is significantly affected by their fit with the education. During this study also the robustness of the three questionnaires was examined, with the question if the questionnaires are valid instruments to be utilized in MBO and HBO settings, and it can be stated that the validity and reliability of the questionnaires has been proven solid for usage in MBO and HBO populations.Show less