Feedback-giving practice for L2 writing teachers: Friend or foe?

Abstract

Informed by a reflective practice perspective on teacher learning, this study investigates the learning experiences of L2 writing teachers in providing feedback on students’ writing. Drawing on multiple sources of data from 27 English writing teachers in Chinese universities, the study reveals that giving feedback on student writing can be a learning experience for most L2 writing teachers and challenges the mainstream discourse that portrays teachers’ feedback-giving as a burdensome and unrewarding task. While some participants did not see the learning opportunities in giving teacher feedback due to their students’ limited writing proficiency, large class size, and time constraints, the majority of teachers believed that giving feedback could improve their feedback literacy and feedback practices and enable teachers to: gain a better understanding of the students and their writing problems; improve their instructional approaches; enhance their own writing proficiency; and obtain knowledge in other disciplines, as well as identify topics for research on L2 writing. This study shows the potential of teacher learning in giving feedback and highlights that teacher learning takes place in social interaction, feedback practice, and teachers’ self-reflection, thus contributing to research on L2 writing feedback.