EFL Students' Perceptions and Understanding of Written Feedback in English : A Qualitative Study in a Swedish Upper-Secondary School

Sammanfattning

While some studies on written feedback in English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) contextshave been conducted in different countries around the world, the present study exploresstudents’ perceptions of written feedback in upper-secondary English education in Sweden,which has been under-researched. Distinctions can be made, e.g., between direct and indirectas well as positive and negative feedback. The data was collected through six groupinterviews with three students in each group. A thematic analysis showed that the participantswere positive towards receiving written feedback and that it was important for them as a helpin improving their skills. While they mostly received feedback related to grammar andspelling (form), some of the participants expressed a desire to receive even more feedback ofthat type. On the other hand, some participants stated that they did not read all of thefeedback that they received, either because knowing their grade was good enough for them orbecause the amount of feedback was experienced as too much. A conclusion to be drawn isthat the feedback should be clear, e.g. including a statement that grammar and form havebeen fully covered, and that a dialogue between the students and the teacher can be beneficialto negotiate and explain the written feedback.