Feedback on Students' Assessment in Higher Education in Cambodia: A Critical Review, Contextual Analysis, and Reform Agenda

Abstract

Assessment feedback is widely recognised as one of the most powerful influences on student learning in higher education. Yet, the quality, timing, and usefulness of feedback vary enormously across contexts. In Cambodia, where higher education has expanded rapidly over the past two decades, empirical understanding of feedback practices remains remarkably limited. This paper provides a systematic critical review of assessment feedback in Cambodian universities. It synthesises international theoretical frameworks—particularly Hattie and Timperley's (2007) feedback model, Sadler's (1989) formative assessment theory, and Carless and Boud's (2018) student feedback literacy concept—with the limited but growing body of empirical evidence from Cambodia and comparable Southeast Asian contexts. The analysis identifies significant systemic, pedagogical, and cultural barriers to effective feedback, including large class sizes, limited lecturer professional development, hierarchical cultural norms, and underdeveloped institutional policies. The paper also presents comparative evidence across public and private universities, urban and provincial institutions, and different academic disciplines. A summary table of existing Cambodian studies is provided to clarify the current evidence base. The paper concludes with evidence-informed recommendations for policy and practice and a research agenda to strengthen the empirical foundation for feedback improvement in Cambodian higher education.