Teacher Written Feedback in EFL Classroom

Abstract

This paper is an empirical and analytical study of the uses of written feedback by Moroccan high school EFL teachers. It tries to investigate how EFL teachers in Abu Hayyan al-Tawhidi high school respond to students’ compositions. Strong emphasis is laid on the types of teacher written feedback, with a focus on integrated feedback (form and content) as an effective way to respond to students’ written work. The ultimate goal of this paper is to ascertain the types and forms of teacher written feedback prevalent amongst Moroccan EFL high school teachers. In this light, the study seeks to investigate the following research questions: (1) Which types of written feedback do Moroccan high school EFL teachers employ to respond to students’ compositions? (2) Which forms of written feedback do Moroccan high school EFL teachers’ employ to respond to students’ compositions? To answer these questions, the present study used a mixed method approach that included: classroom observation checklist, document analysis of corrected writing productions and students’ questionnaire. The key findings illustrated that teachers at Abu Hayyan al-Tawhidi high school relied heavily on form-focused feedback. It also revealed that teachers opted for correction symbols and commentary.