Feedback in the EFL Classroom: An Exploration of its Role in the Communication of Teacher Expectations.
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Date
2000-06
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Abstract
This study examines teacher feedback practice in a foreign language classroom in
relation to the proposition in the field of general education that teacher differential
expectations for students' performance may be expressed in differential treatment
toward students. More specifically, the purpose of this research is to explore whether
( I) the teacher provides different feedback to students whom he perceives as high and
low achievers and, (2) differences can be attributed to differential teacher
expectations. It also investigates whether (3) students perceive any difference in the
ways the teacher works with high and low achievers as regards the provision of
feedback and (4) the teacher sees his own treatment of high and low expectation
students as being different.
The analysis of observational data collected on a teacher's classroom feedback
behaviour revealed great quantitative differences in the feedback received by hi gh
and low expectation students on their successful and unsuccessful performances.
Further analysis suggested that many of the differences are attributable to differences
in performance among students although there were also several other differences
(e.g. those that relate to the teacher's use of praise and failure to give feedback) that
are interpretable as evidence of differential teacher treatment. In addition, the
likelihood of the teacher's use of certain types of feedback (e. g. repetition and
explanation of a correct answer) tended to vary with the expectation group
membership of students.
As regards the students' and the teacher's perceptions, both parties demonstrated a
considerable degree of sensitivity to differential treatment of high and low achievers.
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Feedback in the EFL Classroom