Growing up as the tallest kid in class, I spent a lot of time on basketball courts. Although my height gave me an advantage, I was often the slowest athlete. Coaches would shout phrases like, “If I’m yelling at you, it’s because I care about you,” but this style of feedback often felt demoralizing. I already felt like the odd one out and never got how yelling was supposed to motivate me. Yet, other kids thrived under this same feedback, coming alive with energy and performing better than ever. This contrast made me wonder: Does negative feedback work? And how does it impact creativity? Why does it work for one person and not another? Your content goes here. Edit or remove this text inline or in the module Content settings. You can also style every aspect of this content in the module Design settings and even apply custom CSS to this text in the module Advanced settings.

In this piece I explore the relationship between feedback, evaluation, and creativity in education. Drawing insights from synthesis review by two Cornell researchers, Michael Darfler and Saleh Kalantari, along with perspectives from Fueling Creativity in education podcast episodes featuring Neil Bergenroth and Anne Jacoby, I examine how feedback impacts creativity and what educators can learn from research. 

Nature of Feedback: Informational and Controlling

Feedback plays a critical role in education, acting as a mirror through which students evaluate their own performance. However, the nature of feedback can significantly influence creativity. Feedback can be viewed through two lenses: informational feedback or controlling feedback. 

Informational feedback provides students with insights into how they can improve, thereby enhancing their sense of competence and autonomy, both key drivers of intrinsic motivation. 

• Acknowledging effort: “You’ve made a lot of progress on your writing! Adding more details about the character’s feelings could help your readers connect even more with the story.”
• Focus on process: “I noticed you tried a different approach to solve the math problem. That’s a great strategy! What other methods could you try to get the answer?”
• Encouraging self-reflection: “How do you feel about this project? What do you think went well, and what would you change next time?”

Controlling feedback focuses on external expectations, often reducing intrinsic motivation and stifling creativity ​(Darfler & Kalantari, 2022).

• Corrections with no explanation: “You didn’t follow the directions. Fix it.”
• Overemphasis on grades: “If you want to get an A, you need to follow the instructions exactly.” 
• Dictating how to Improve: “Next time, don’t use the guess and check method. Do exactly what I tell you, or it won’t work.”

Speaking about his STEM rowing program which helps students gather and analyze data through rowing, Neil Bergenroth observed how students’ understanding blossomed when feedback was positioned as a tool for improvement rather than judgment. He compares this to the world of sports, where athletes continuously refine their skills with feedback from coaches, but only when that feedback feels constructive ​(Worwood & Burnett, 2024b). 

Echoing the tension between information to improve and controlling criticism, Anne Jacoby discussed the concept of note-giving from her experience in theater, which echoes this tension. In theater, receiving “notes” from a director is a standard part of refining a performance. While actors expect feedback, it is framed as a collaborative process aimed at improving the final product, serving an informational function. Jacoby noted that when feedback is part of a social norm and embedded in the culture, it can enhance creativity by encouraging continual refinement​.  

On the flip side, controlling feedback, which emphasizes conformity and pleasing an external evaluator, often creates anxiety and reduces creative thinking. Jacoby emphasized the importance of creating environments that normalize feedback without making it punitive. Feedback framed as controlling rather than informational and supportive diminishes intrinsic motivation, leading to lower creativity​. 

The Timing of Feedback 

The timing of feedback also plays a pivotal role in its effectiveness. Yuan and Zhou’s 2008 study on business students posited that feedback is most beneficial during the refinement stage of creative production rather than during the initial brainstorming phase​. This underscores the importance of allowing students the freedom to explore ideas without the looming pressure of evaluation early on, thus giving space for divergent thinking to flourish.  

Examples of feedback during different stages of the creative process:

Idea generation stage (divergent thinking) feedback should be more encouraging and exploratory:

Art: “I love how you’re exploring different color palettes! Don’t worry about making it perfect—try mixing in new textures or styles to see what happens.”

Refinement stage (convergent thinking) feedback can become more focused or technical

Research: “The data presentation is very clear, but in the conclusion, make sure you tie your findings back to the original hypothesis more explicitly.”

Formative assessments, which provide ongoing and often immediate feedback during the learning process, have been found to be particularly beneficial for fostering creativity. This aligns with insights shared by Dr. Matthew Worwood when he discussed the importance striving to give quality feedback every lesson or every day. This approach allows for more immediate and actionable feedback, like what Anne Jacoby describes in her experience with dance classes: “It’s so immediate… There’s something kind of visceral about the co-creation of this work product that you’re building together”.  

Conclusion and Teacher Takeaways 

The research is clear that feedback and evaluation, while integral to the educational process, can either nurture or stifle creativity depending on how they are delivered. As both Jacoby and Bergenroth highlight, the key lies in creating environments where feedback is framed as informational and growth-oriented, supporting students’ sense of autonomy and competence. By understanding the nuances of how feedback impacts creativity, educators can tailor their approach to foster more creative, resilient, and confident learners. Ultimately, the goal is to shift from seeing evaluation as a barrier to creativity and instead use it as a tool for empowerment and growth.

Use Informational Feedback to Encourage Growth: Focus on offering feedback that is constructive, specific, and aimed at helping students improve, rather than simply correcting mistakes. Emphasize process and effort over results to foster a growth mindset.

Tailor Feedback to the Stage of Creativity: In the idea generation phase, encourage exploration and risk-taking without immediate judgment. During the refinement stage, offer more targeted suggestions to help students develop and polish their work.

Normalize Feedback as a Collaborative Process: Establish a classroom environment where students feel safe experimenting with ideas.  Frame feedback as part of an ongoing dialogue rather than a one-time evaluation. Encourage peer feedback and discussions to help students see it as a collaborative tool for growth, not judgment.