Teachers' Practices and Students' Preferences for Written Feedback: Debre Birhan University in Focus
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Date
2009-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the teachers ' written feedb ack
practice and students' preferences and the reasons behind their practices and
preferences.
Specifically it was aimed at finding out: (1) What teachers' written feedback
practices are, (2) the reasons bifhind their written feedback practices, (3)
students' preferences for this feedback and reasons for their preferences, (4) the
discrepancies between teacher written feedback practices and students'
preferences (5) the students' feelings about and responses to teachers' written
feedback.
In order to achieve these aims, feedback analysis of 75 marked papers collected
from 5 instructors of Sophomore English at DBU were compared with: (1)
teachers' reported practice from a questionnaire survey and a follow up interview
with all of them (2) data found from questionnaire administered to 80 students
(who were randomly selected from 12 section of four departments) which probed
their preferences and reasons for their preferences (3) an interview data with 15
of students , which revealed their feelings about and responses to written
feedback.
The re sults show that there were mismatches not only between what teachers
reported and what they actually provided but also between teachers ' actual
feedback practice and ,students' preferences. Teachers provided feedback after
students had comp leted their work, ,w,',ile over half (56.25%) students preferred
to get this feedback in the earlier drafts and after the final ones. Feedback
analysis indicated that teachers focused on form (86.7%) than on organization
(3 .07%) and content (3.42%) which met students' preferences. But over 60% the
students wanted more feedback on each area . The study also revealed that on
average te ac hers mostly employed direct correction (64.27%) employing the
techniques 'adding ', 'deleting', 's ubstitution ' land indirect correction using
'underline '! 'circle' technique (34.42%), which mismatched students' preferences
as they preferred direct correction over indirect correction. In spite of instru cto rs'
error focused feedback, negative comments and criticism, students seemed to be
generally positive about teachers ' written feedback. Most teachers rarely
discussed their feedback behavior for the students.
Finally, based on the findings, discussions and conclusions the researcher
suggested the need to : take into account leamers ' preferences in written
feedback, employ a range of indirect error fe edback strategies, focus on global
aspects of students' writing, give p'raise and criticism side by side, encourage
students to write multiple drajis, and intervene in the students ' writing process.
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Keywords
Teachers' Practices and Students, Preferences for Written Feedback