A mixed-methods approach to English-L1 teachers’ implementation of written feedback in EFL classrooms

Abstract

While there are copious studies investigating teacher written feedback in L2 writing contexts, much remains to be discovered about how English-L1 teachers enact this practice in EFL classrooms. To fill this gap, employing a mixed-methods approach, this study collected data from multiple sources including questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, students’ writing samples, stimulated recalls, and documents to examine such teachers’ implementation of written feedback and influencing factors in Chinese tertiary EFL settings. The results of survey study were generally in line with those of in-depth study in terms of feedback scope, strategy, and focus, but differences emerged in feedback orientation. Furthermore, both the quantitative and qualitative results found that the teachers’ provision of written feedback was mediated by a synthesis of factors related to teachers, students, and contexts. Important pedagogical implications are also discussed.