Investigating the Effects of Written Corrective Feedback and Automated Written Corrective Feedback on Iranian EFL Learners’ Writing Performance and Writing Self-Efficacy[Latin Thesis]

Parisa Rezaei Keshnizgani

Current embedded mixed-methods study compared the effects of Written Corrective Feedback (WCF) and Automated Written Corrective Feedback (AWCF) on Iranian EFL learners’ writing performance and writing self-efficacy, taking gender as a possible mediating variable. Furthermore, learners’ opinions towards the utilization and practicality of AWCF methodology was qualitatively studied. For the quantitative phase, 66 male and female Iranian EFL learners, selected via convenience sampling from six intact classes, were assigned to the experimental (n=34) and control (n=32) groups receiving AWCF via Grammarly and WCF from the instructor, respectively. At the beginning and at the end of the treatment sessions, a self-efficacy questionnaire was given to both groups as pretest and post-test. Also, six writing tasks, the first one as pretest and the last as post-test, were administered through six sessions of treatment. Meanwhile, as a part of the qualitative phase, AWCF participants produced Think-Aloud Protocols (TAP) while using Grammarly. In addition, 29 participants of the experimental group took part in focus-group interviews. A series of ANCOVA, MANCOVA, ANOVA, and MANOVA analysis revealed that despite the functionality of both WCF and AWCF in improving writing ability, AWCF had a significantly higher impact, with gender having no mediating effects. These two types of CF also increased writing self-efficacy among Iranian EFL learners equally, regardless of their gender. Furthermore, the results of the inductive thematic analysis of TAP and focus-group interviews revealed that learners had a positive attitude towards AWCF methodology with its advantages outweighing its disadvantages for them. In addition, not only was this methodology preferred, but also it resulted in a higher sense of self-satisfaction among learners. However, regarding Grammarly in particular, despite its general efficiency, learners listed a number of demerits including time to time flawed CF. The results of this study highly recommend English language instructors to involve AWE tools in classroom environments in tandem with teachers’ CF; however, both learners and instructors must be aware of the shortcomings of these programs, especially where learners lack sufficient grammatical accuracy.