This study purports to examine how corrective feedback is perceived by
elementary English teachers and students. It also explores and analyzes the
differences between teachers and students as well as among the students in
order to search for effect...
This study purports to examine how corrective feedback is perceived by
elementary English teachers and students. It also explores and analyzes the
differences between teachers and students as well as among the students in
order to search for effective ways to use corrective feedback in the
elementary English classroom. For the purpose, the study addresses three
research questions.
Firstly, do teachers and students attach an importance to the corrective
feedback? If so, what kind of effect do they think the corrective feedback
produce?
Secondly, what kind of corrective feedback do they prefer, who do they
think provide the feedback, which error do they think should be corrected, and when do they think is the suitable time to correct? And why?
Thirdly, are there any differences in their preferences and thoughts
between teachers and students as well as among the three different grades?
The survey was conducted with 309 students (fourth, fifth, and sixth
graders) and 40 teachers at an elementary school in Jeju. The questionnaire
items are based on Hendrickson (1978) and Lyster and Ranta (1997). The
results and findings have led to the following conclusions.
Firstly, both students and teachers have positive perception of corrective
feedback. Contrary to Park (2012), corrective feedback is considered helpful
in cognitive development as well as in affective enhancement. This suggests
that teachers should make efforts to develop their students' English ability
and to enhance their confidence by making various approaches to corrective
feedback and heightening positive expectations for it.
Secondly, the results show that both teacher and students similarly prefer
corrective feedback to be given right after students make the error, especially
in the areas of grammar and vocabulary. The only exception is that fourth
graders express a significant greater need for corrective feedback in
pronunciation. As for the subject who offers corrective feedback, however,
there is a significant difference. Teachers consider it most desirable for the
students to correct for themselves when either explicit or implied feedback is
offered, whereas students expect their teachers to correct the errors with
explicit corrective feedback. Interestingly enough, more and more students
wish to receive corrective feedback from peers as well as teachers as they
grow older. This means that teachers need to consider both the cognitive and
affective aspects in deciding how and when to provide which corrective
feedback.
Thirdly, both teachers and students have the most negative opinions about
explicit correction among the five types of corrective feedback, because
students can lose their confidence and interest by thinking their English is not correct. Nonetheless, it seems ironic that both 4th and 5th graders prefer
explicit correction to other types of corrective feedback. This indicates that
younger students want the teacher's intention clearly declared. On the other
hand, teachers prefer elicitation because they think it best way for students
to understand the teacher's intention and to improve their English skills for
themselves. Like teachers, 6th graders prefer elicitation and strongly dislike
explicit correction. This suggests that teachers should make efforts to take
older students' self-consciousness into account when correcting their errors.
Based on those findings, the study can put forward some proposals.
Korean elementary English teachers lack the teaching skill to provide
appropriate corrective feedback and do not experience its actual effects, even
though they acknowledge the importance and usefulness of corrective
feedback. Thus, they should be trained well enough to find ways of utilizing
appropriate corrective feedback at a suitable time. Teachers also need to
know to take students' personality, cognition, and affect into account when
providing corrective feedback.
In addition, it would be desirable for the teacher to deal with the students
differently according to their grade or age. Explicit correction is preferred by
lowergrade
students, for it clearly states teachers' intention. From upper
graders who are around the onset of puberty, however, it is better not to
provoke such negative emotions as anxiety or humiliation. They often lose
their confidence and interest if an error is pointed out to the whole class.
Instead, teachers need to offer them plenty of opportunity to receive
corrective feedback from peers during their pair work or small group
activity. Even from the perspective of learnercentered
education, uppergrade
students are required to correct their errors for themselves as they develop
language competence.
Finally, the results of the present study are different from those of several
previous studies that reported negative effects of corrective feedback on the cognitive and affective aspects. Thus, further comprehensive and close
research will be needed to examine the necessity and effect of corrective
feedback in the field of English education in Korea.