WRITTEN CORRECTIVE FEEDBACK: WHAT DO STUDENTS AND TEACHERS PREFER AND WHY?

Aala Alzahrany
Ms., King Abdulaziz University, alaa.a.alzahrani@gmail.com

Abstract

Amrhein and Nassaji (2010) discovered that teachers and students need to enter into an open dialogue about what methods of written corrective feedback are best for the students that they need to teach as students have their own individual preferences for what type of feedback they prefer from their teachers (117). However, Amrhein and Nassaji (2010) also discovered that the best way forward is not for teachers to immediately succumb to the wishes of their students as it could lead to an increasing amount of dependence upon teachers by students and they may find that their expectations may become unrealistic (117). At the same time, students may become demotivated if their preferences are not taken into consideration (Amrhein and Nassaji 2010: 117). Despite this, Amrhein and Nassaji’s (2010) study had certain limitations such as sample size, institutions used in the study and reliability of results (118). Yet at the same time, their study helped to draw up new findings that suggest students’ views as well as teachers’ need to be taken into consideration when it comes to providing the best forms of written corrective feedback. Their study also helped move the debate away from being too focused on students’ preferences. This is what has happened in the past. The present study investigated the preferences of teachers and students in regards to written corrective feedback as well as their reasons for why certain amounts of written corrective feedback are appropriate for them. This study investigated how useful different types of written corrective feedback are. It also analysed the responses of fifty-four students out of 391 responses in total and four teachers in terms of analysing what types of written corrective feedback students and teachers prefer and why. Qualitative and quantitative data was collected from both students and teachers in the form of questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. Pedagogical implications of the study are also discussed.

Keywords: TESOL, TEFL,ESL, Writing, Teaching, Education