RUNNING HEAD: Feedback – in aller Munde, aber missverständlich?!

The use of the term "feedback" is inconsistent both in everyday language and in the scientific literature. Using the procedure of classical term explication, we therefore show based on etymology, everyday language usage, and scientific word history that definitions of the termrange from pure information to the result of a selfregulating control loop, and that there are significant differences between its original usage in a technical context and its usage in a communication context. Given the specificity of a pedagogical communication context, we argue that feedback from this point of view always contains a normative component and should be understood as an educational action. In conclusion, we point out the need for a transparent focus of pedagogical feedback research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]