Developing feedback literacy, scaffolded writing, and resilience through intervention on feedback processes for L2 writing students

Abstract

Recent research on feedback processes posits that furthering students’ feedback literacy leads to scaffolded learning by effectively engaging them in seeking, understanding, and using feedback information. This study examined effects of a social-constructionist approach to feedback literacy on students’ development of feedback literacy, scaffolded learning, and resilience. Accordingly, we raised students’ awareness of feedback dynamics within the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD), while engaged in collaborative writing with co-writers. A mixed-methods design was adopted comprising measures of feedback literacy, writing, and resilience before and after the intervention. Semi-structured interviews were also held to probe students’ post-intervention attitudes. Posttest scores and ratings showed significant improvement in the experimental group’s feedback literacy, writing proficiency, and resilience. Further, interviews revealed that feedback literate students developed positive perceptions of feedback processes arising from scaffolded writing and that their enhanced awareness brought them opportunities for engagement, collaboration, graduated scaffolding in the ZPD, and sustained motivation for writing.