Feedback-seeking behaviour (FSB) is the proactive act of seeking, interpreting and applying feedback to improve performance. The literature highlights the importance of feedback in fostering learning and development, particularly in clinical settings. However, high-power distance and the hierarchical structure of medical education in Indonesia may challenge students’ willingness to seek feedback. This study aims to explore clinical students’ FSB and identify the factors influencing students’ FSB in a clinical setting. This qualitative study employed a phenomenological approach. Data were collected through six focus group discussions (FGDs) with 43 clinical clerkship students and five interviews with five clinical teachers representing six regions of the Association of Indonesian Medical Education Institutions. Thematic analysis used the Steps for Coding and Theorisation (SCAT) approach to identify key themes and sub-themes related to FSB. The thematic analysis identified four key themes related to FSB among clinical clerkship students: methods (direct inquiry, indirect inquiry, and monitoring), frequency (often to peers and residents, rare to teaching staff), signs (a positive approach to any feedback), and outcomes (improved performance, enhanced learning, increased adaptability, and managed impression). Factors influencing FSB were categorised into three main areas: seeker antecedents (motivation, dispositional, cognitive, and emotional variables), target antecedents (target professions, credibility, characteristics, busyness and time, and mood), and context antecedents (relational, environmental, and structural context). These findings highlight the complex interplay of various factors that influence clinical clerkship students’ FSB and emphasise the importance of addressing these factors to promote a culture of feedback-seeking in clinical education. © Malaysian Association of Education in Medicine and Health Sciences and Penerbit Universiti Sains Malaysia. 2025. This work is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).