Avaliação do feedback na aprendizagem ortográfica em escolares do ensino fundamental anos finais da educação básica do estado de Minas Gerais

Abstract

Given the persistent challenges in literacy and orthographic learning among Brazilian children, especially in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, this study examined the effects of retrieval practice, a technique grounded in the testing effect, combined with different feedback timings on orthographic retention in 6th and 7th grade students. Anchored in the principles of evidence-based education and aligned with the Brazilian National Common Curricular Base, the study was conducted in a public state school in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, involving 89 students. Twenty-four words were selected and evenly distributed across three review conditions: simple copying, retrieval practice with immediate feedback, and retrieval practice with delayed feedback. Retention was assessed via a dictation task 24 hours after the intervention. Results revealed that retrieval practice with delayed feedback led to significantly higher orthographic retention than both simple copying and immediate feedback. The findings suggest that the delay between response and correction enhances attentional engagement and supports the consolidation of correct orthographic representations. This study provides relevant evidence for the pedagogical use of active recall strategies in basic education, particularly in socially vulnerable contexts. By focusing on a population underrepresented in previous research, Brazilian public school students, this work contributes to the literature and reinforces the importance of implementing evidence-based practices in daily classroom instruction. Methodological limitations, such as compensatory behavior in the immediate feedback condition and the lack of counterbalancing word lists, are discussed and point to directions for future research. In conclusion, retrieval practice with feedback, especially when delayed, emerges as an effective, feasible, and low-cost strategy for supporting orthographic learning recovery in Brazilian school settings.