ESL writers' reactions to teacher feedback: A multiple case study
Abstract
Using a case study approach, the researcher investigated how three ESL writers responded to the comments they received from their teacher over the course of one semester in a university ESL composition course. Four broad research questions were addressed: (1) How do ESL writers respond cognitively and affectively to teacher feedback on drafts of their essays? (2) What kinds of teacher feedback do students expect and desire, and to what extent are these expectations and preferences being met by teacher feedback? (3) What kinds of discrepancies, if any, exist between the students' and teacher's assessment of the purposes and usefulness of various types of feedback? (4) What factors seem to influence students' expectations and preferences for teacher feedback? Data were collected through weekly interviews with the students on their reactions to the teacher-written comments on their drafts, interviews with the teacher about the comments he made on students' drafts, interviews with the students and the teacher on their personal and educational backgrounds, and classroom observations. Individually, the students' reactions varied; however, there were several patterns across the cases. Specifically, all three students were heavily invested in reading their teacher's comments. They understood, appreciated, and accepted the majority of the teacher feedback they received. However, they had difficulty understanding implicit comments and abbreviations used to label errors. In terms of emotional reaction, the students reported primarily neutral to positive feelings in response to teacher feedback. There was a fairly good match between the students' and the teacher's views on the purposes and usefulness of various types of feedback. However, there was some mismatch between what the students wanted and what they got in terms of feedback. They wanted feedback on more of their drafts and more feedback on rhetorical issues. Significantly, the students did not express a strong desire for correction of all of their errors; indeed, they perceived issues of content and organization as bearing more importance than issues of form. Finally, previous writing instruction and previous teacher feedback experiences appear to have influenced the writers' feedback preferences. These findings are further discussed in terms of their implications for practice, theory, and research.
Degree
Ph.D.
Advisors
Silva, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Linguistics|Rhetoric|Higher education
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