A Qualitative Case Study of EFL Students’ Affective Reactions to and Perceptions of Their Teachers’ Written Feedback

Omer Mahfoodh,Ambigapathy Pandian

doi:10.5539/elt.v4n3p14

Abstract

The present paper reports a qualitative case study of investigating EFL students’ affective reactions to and perceptions of their teachers’ written feedback. In addition, the study reported here also focuses on contextual factors that may influence students’ reactions to and perceptions of their teachers’ written feedback. Data were collected using multiple methods that included semi-structured interviews, think-aloud protocols, teachers’ written feedback, and students’ written essays. Results of data analysis revealed that EFL students showed some variations in their affective reactions to their teachers’ written feedback. The students perceived their teachers’ written feedback as useful and very important for the development of their writing skills. The students wanted their teachers to focus on all aspects of written texts when they provide written feedback. Contextual factors such as students’ past experience, teachers’ wording of written feedback, students’ acceptance of teachers’ authority, and teachers’ handwriting have their impact on EFL students’ affective reactions to and perceptions of their teachers’ written feedback

Highlights

Written feedback is clearly crucial to students’ growth as writers, and it is one of the most fundamental components of ESL/EFL writing-centred classrooms
The eight English major students in this study showed different types of affective reactions toward written feedback they received from their teachers of EFL writing courses during one full semester
The student participants expressed that they thought carefully about their teachers’ written feedback. They indicated that they read their drafts after getting written feedback from their teachers which meant that they paid attention to the written feedback they received. Another positive affective reaction was that English major EFL students liked written feedback provided on their written texts

Summary

Introduction

Written feedback is clearly crucial to students’ growth as writers, and it is one of the most fundamental components of ESL/EFL writing-centred classrooms. Teachers and students agree that despite the time-consuming nature of providing written feedback, teacher written feedback is both helpful and desirable (Ferris, 2003; Goldstein, 2004; Lee & Schallert, 2008) because it is considered to be the best way for communication with each student on a one-to-one basis. Despite the increase in the studies on teacher written feedback in L2 contexts, most of these studies were conducted in L1 and ESL contexts (Furneaux, Paran, & Fairfax, 2007); studies on written feedback have been relatively few so far (Ferris et al, 1997; Goldstein, 2005). There is a need for more studies on “the various ways that students incorporate feedback into their language learning processes” because such studies can enhance our understanding of the feedback process and help us to give more useful feedback to students (K. Hyland, 2003, p. 229)

Methods

Results

Conclusion