Examining the Effects of Performance Feedback and Supervision on Learning and Competence Building among Islamic Scholars Studying in Higher Education Institutions of Pakistan
Keywords:
Higher Education Institutions, Postgraduate Students, Educational Development, Academic PerformanceAbstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of performance feedback and supervision on learning and competence building among Islamic scholars studying in higher education institutions of Pakistan. Drawing upon Social Learning Theory, Constructivist Learning Theory, and Experiential Learning Theory, the study proposed that performance feedback and academic supervision serve as important educational mechanisms that enhance students' learning outcomes and competence development. A positivist research philosophy guided the investigation, employing a quantitative and cross-sectional research design. Primary data were collected from 350 postgraduate Islamic scholars enrolled in various reputable universities across Pakistan through a structured questionnaire using a convenience sampling technique. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), incorporating descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, validity assessment, correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis. The findings of study revealed that both performance feedback and supervision exert significant positive effects on learning and competence building. Performance feedback was found to enhance students' academic understanding, reflective learning, and professional development, while supervision emerged as the strongest predictor of both learning and competence building. The results further demonstrated significant positive correlations among all variables of the study and confirmed all proposed hypotheses. The study contributes to the literature on higher education and Islamic scholarship by providing empirical evidence regarding the importance of developmental feedback and effective supervision in fostering learning and competence development. The findings offer valuable implications for university administrators, faculty members, supervisors, and policymakers seeking to strengthen educational quality and student development within higher education institutions. The study concludes that structured feedback mechanisms and supportive supervisory practices are essential for enhancing the academic and professional competencies of future Islamic scholars in Pakistan.
References
Archer, J. C. (2010). State of the science in health professional education: Effective feedback. Medical Education, 44(1), 101–108. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2923.2009.03546.x
Bandura, A. (1977). Social learning theory. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Barnett, R. (2012). Learning for an unknown future. Higher Education Research & Development, 31(1), 65–77. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2012.642841
Becker, G. S. (1993). Human capital: A theoretical and empirical analysis with special reference to education (3rd ed.). Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.
Biggs, J., & Tang, C. (2011). Teaching for quality learning at university (4th ed.). Maidenhead, UK: Open University Press.
Black, P., & Wiliam, D. (1998). Assessment and classroom learning. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice, 5(1), 7–74. https://doi.org/10.1080/0969595980050102
Boud, D., & Molloy, E. (2013). Feedback in higher and professional education: Understanding it and doing it well. London, UK: Routledge.
Boyatzis, R. E. (2008). Competencies in the twenty‐first century. Journal of Management Development, 27(1), 5–12. https://doi.org/10.1108/02621710810840730
Bryman, A. (2016). Social research methods (5th ed.). Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
Carless, D. (2015). Excellence in university assessment: Learning from award-winning practice. London, UK: Routledge.
Creswell, J. W. (2014). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Deuchar, R. (2008). Facilitator, director or critical friend? Contradiction and congruence in doctoral supervision styles. Teaching in Higher Education, 13(4), 489–500. https://doi.org/10.1080/13562510802169788
Eraut, M. (2007). Learning from other people in the workplace. Oxford Review of Education, 33(4), 403–422. https://doi.org/10.1080/03054980701425706
Etikan, I., Musa, S. A., & Alkassim, R. S. (2016). Comparison of convenience sampling and purposive sampling. American Journal of Theoretical and Applied Statistics, 5(1), 1–4. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajtas.20160501.11
Evans, C. (2013). Making sense of assessment feedback in higher education. Review of Educational Research, 83(1), 70–120. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654312474350
Grant, B. M. (2005). The pedagogy of graduate supervision: Figuring the relations between supervisor and student. Arts and Humanities in Higher Education, 4(3), 337–352. https://doi.org/10.1177/1474022205056179
Gurr, G. M. (2001). Negotiating the “rackety bridge” – A dynamic model for aligning supervisory style with research student development. Higher Education Research & Development, 20(1), 81–92. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360123795
Hair, J. F., Black, W. C., Babin, B. J., & Anderson, R. E. (2014). Multivariate data analysis (7th ed.). Harlow, UK: Pearson Education.
Hattie, J., & Timperley, H. (2007). The power of feedback. Review of Educational Research, 77(1), 81–112. https://doi.org/10.3102/003465430298487
Illeris, K. (2018). Contemporary theories of learning: Learning theorists in their own words (2nd ed.). London, UK: Routledge.
Ives, G., & Rowley, G. (2005). Supervisor selection or allocation and continuity of supervision: PhD students’ progress and outcomes. Studies in Higher Education, 30(5), 535–555. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075070500249161
Kolb, D. A. (1984). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Lee, A. (2008). How are doctoral students supervised? Concepts of doctoral research supervision. Studies in Higher Education, 33(3), 267–281. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075070802049202
London, M. (2003). Job feedback: Giving, seeking, and using feedback for performance improvement (2nd ed.). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Manathunga, C. (2007). Supervision as mentoring: The role of power and boundary crossing. Studies in Continuing Education, 29(2), 207–221. https://doi.org/10.1080/01580370701424650
Moon, J. A. (2004). A handbook of reflective and experiential learning: Theory and practice. London, UK: RoutledgeFalmer.
Mulder, M. (2014). Conceptions of professional competence. In S. Billett, C. Harteis, & H. Gruber (Eds.), International handbook of research in professional and practice-based learning (pp. 107–137). Dordrecht, Netherlands: Springer.
Nasr, S. H. (2006). Islamic philosophy from its origin to the present: Philosophy in the land of prophecy. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.
Nicol, D. J., & Macfarlane‐Dick, D. (2006). Formative assessment and self‐regulated learning: A model and seven principles of good feedback practice. Studies in Higher Education, 31(2), 199–218. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075070600572090
Nunnally, J. C., & Bernstein, I. H. (1994). Psychometric theory (3rd ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Pearson, M., & Brew, A. (2002). Research training and supervision development. Studies in Higher Education, 27(2), 135–150. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075070220119986c
Sadler, D. R. (1989). Formative assessment and the design of instructional systems. Instructional Science, 18(2), 119–144. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00117714
Saunders, M., Lewis, P., & Thornhill, A. (2019). Research methods for business students (8th ed.). Harlow, UK: Pearson Education.
Sekaran, U., & Bougie, R. (2016). Research methods for business: A skill-building approach (7th ed.). Chichester, UK: Wiley.
Shute, V. J. (2008). Focus on formative feedback. Review of Educational Research, 78(1), 153–189. https://doi.org/10.3102/0034654307313795
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Yorke, M. (2006). Employability in higher education: What it is, what it is not. York, UK: Higher Education Academy.
Zhao, C. M., Golde, C. M., & McCormick, A. C. (2007). More than a signature: How advisor choice and advisor behaviour affect doctoral student satisfaction. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 31(3), 263–281. https://doi.org/10.1080/03098770701424983

