(Mis) Alignment of Iranian EFL Teacher’s Written Corrective Feedback beliefs and practices from an Activity Theory Perspective

Abstract

While recent research on written corrective feedback (WCF) has elaborated on the connection between teachers’ beliefs and practices, little research has investigated EFL teachers’ WCF as a multifaceted notion. Drawing on activity theory (AT), in this case, study, we aimed at presenting a picture of EFL teachers’ beliefs about WCF and how their beliefs interrelate with their WCF practices. To this end, we collected data from three EFL teachers working at a private language center in Iran. The data were collected from multiple resources including semi-structured interviews, teachers’ WCF on sample essays, and stimulated recall interviews. The results showed that teachers’ beliefs did not align with their practices as far as the scope and type of WCF are concerned. Teachers’ beliefs, on the other hand, corresponded to their practices regarding the types of errors they targeted. Teachers’ reasoning for (mis)alignments of their beliefs and practices were analyzed from an AT perspective and were then matched against an activity system diagram.