In recent years, educational research has focused, special attention on teachers’ practical-operative experience. The growing interest in the concept of practice within workplace settings has become a turning point in the sociological, anthropological, and educational studies (Schatzki, Knorr Cetina, Von Savigny, 2001).

Theories based on the perspective of sociomaterialism have provided an arena in which it can reflect on the nature and on the role of materiality and its relationship with social phenomena.

Sørensen (2007; 2009) disapproves educational research as it has widely ignored aspects of materiality and bodily knowledge for many years. Similarly, T. Fenwick (2012) argues that very often, material aspects have been investigated and studied making them as immaterial things. This happened mainly to give more attention to social, political, and cultural aspects. Schatzki (1993; 1996a) considers the body as one of the four essential key elements for the study of professional practice. However, body has often avoided in educational research.

Despite the importance of the bodily practice in the definition of professionals’ work, it cannot forget the importance of theory in placing practice in a «coherent narrative» (Taras, 2012: 2), as a dramaturgy of phenomena. As M. Taras argues «theory provides the coherence and the logic for the practice» (2012: 2). If theory creates the coherence for the practices and the practices can provide information on professionals’ knowledge and way of knowing, what is interesting is the investigation of the relation of professionals’ perceptions and practice.

Although many studies had been focusing on the contents and on the purposes of feedback (Merry, Price, Carless, Taras, 2013) in this project the focus is on the traits of the “act” of feedback. 

This contribution aims to study teacher’s use and conceptions of feedback focusing the attention on the role of body in teaching practice. Particularly, the body will be considered the glue and the filrouge through which the practice is explored and understood. Here the setting is the HE context and teachers’ work. Specifically, attention will be paid to a particular aspect: the use of feedback. 

As one of the conclusions of their survey about lecturers’ beliefs on assessment, Davies and Taras (2016) consider communication as an element that can affect the understanding of assessment. This consideration is one of the starting points for this project as the body could be considered a crucial element in the communication (in supporting or not verbal ways to communicate intentions).

Research questions:

-     How teachers use their body during the feedback?

-     What the exploration of body in the practice of feedback tells us about their knowledge?

-     There is coherence between teachers’ perception of feedback and their use of body in the practice?

Duerden R., Fisher N. (2007). Dancing of the page. Integrating performance, choreography, analysis and notation/documentation. Hampshire: Dance Books Publications. Foster S.L. (2011). Choreographing empathy. New York, NY: Routledge. Laban R., L. Ullmann (2011). The Mastery of movement. Humpshire, UK: Dance Books Ltd. Green, B., & Hopwood, N. (2015). The body in professional practice, learning and education: A question of corporeality? In B. Green & N. Hopwood (Eds.), The body in professional practice, learning and education: Body/practice (pp. 15–33). Dordrecht: Springer. Schatzki, T. R. (1996). Practiced bodies: Subjects, genders, and minds. In T. R. Schatzki & W. Natter (Eds.), The social and political body (pp. 49–77). London: The Guildford Press. Taras M. (2007). Machinations of assessment: metaphors, myths and realities. Pedagogy, Culture & Society, 15(1), 55-69. Taras M. (2012). Assessing Assessment Theories. Online Educational Research Journal, 3(12). Taras M. (2013). Feedback on feedback. In S. Merry, M. Price, D. Carless and M. Taras, Reconceptualising feedback in Higher Education. Abingdon: Routledge. Thrift, N. (2004). Movement-space: The changing domain of thinking from the development of new kinds of spatial awareness. Economy and Society, 33(4), 582–604.