Teacher's beliefs, seft - reported practices and student's preferences on written conrrective feedback - a study at the ASEAN international school,Van Thanh Campus

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND TRAINING

HO CHI MINH CITY OPEN UNIVERSITY

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NGUYEN THI BAO TRINH

TEACHERS’ BELIEFS, SELF-REPORTED PRACTICES

AND STUDENTS’ PREFERENCES ON WRITTEN

CORRECTIVE FEEDBACK: A STUDY AT THE ASIAN

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL- VAN THANH CAMPUS

Major: Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages

Major code: 8 14 01 11

MASTER THESIS

MASTER OF ARTS IN TESOL

Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. PHAM VU PHI HO

HO CHI MINH CITY, 2021

TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC MỞ CỘNG HÒA XÃ HỘI CHỦ NGHĨA VIỆT NAM

THÀNH PHỐ HỒ CHÍ MINH Độc lập – Tự do – Hạnh phúc

KHOA ĐÀO TẠO SAU ĐẠI HỌC

GIẤY XÁC NHẬN

Ngày sinh: 23/5/1991 Nơi sinh: Bình Thuận

Chuyên ngành: Lý luận và phương pháp dạy học bộ môn Tiếng Anh

Mã học viên: 1781401110035

Tôi đồng ý cung cấp toàn văn thông tin luận văn tốt nghiệp hợp lệ về bản quyền cho

Thư viện trường đại học Mở Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh. Thư viện trường đại học Mở

Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh sẽ kết nối toàn văn thông tin luận văn tốt nghiệp vào hệ

thống thông tin khoa học của Sở Khoa học và Công nghệ Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh.

Ký tên

(Ghi rõ họ và tên)

Nguyễn Thị Bảo Trình

Tôi tên là: Nguyễn Thị Bảo Trình

CỘNG HÒA XÃ HỘI CHỦ NGHĨA VIỆT NAM

Độc lập – Tự do – Hạnh phúc

Ý KIẾN CHO PHÉP BẢO VỆ LUẬN VĂN THẠC SĨ

CỦA GIẢNG VIÊN HƯỚNG DẪN

Giảng viên hướng dẫn: Phó Giáo Sư. Tiến sĩ- Phạm Vũ Phi Hổ

Học viên thực hiện: Nguyễn Thị Bảo Trình Lớp: MTESOL017A

Ngày sinh: 23/05/1991 Nơi sinh: Bình Thuận

Tên đề tài: TEACHERS’ BELIEFS, SELF-REPORTED PRACTICES AND

STUDENTS’ PREFERENCES ON WRITTEN CORRECTIVE FEEDBACK: A

STUDY AT THE ASIAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL-VAN THANH CAMPUS

Ý kiến của giáo viên hướng dẫn về việc cho phép học viên Nguyễn Thị Bảo Trình

được bảo vệ luận văn lần hai trước Hội đồng:...........................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................

Luận Văn của Nguyễn Thị Bảo Trình đã đủ điều kiện về chất lượng và nội dung để bảo vệ

trước hội đồng. ...........................................................................................................................

Đồng ý cho bảo vệ luận văn Thạc sỹ. ........................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................

....................................................................................................................................................

Thành phố Hồ Chí Minh, ngày…5..tháng 7 năm 2021.

Người nhận xét

PGS.TS. Phạm Vũ Phi Hổ

STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP

I certify that this thesis entitled “Teachers’ Beliefs, Self-Reported Practices

and Students’ Preferences on Written Corrective Feedback: A Study at the

Asian International School-Van Thanh Campus” is my own work.

Except where reference is made in the text of the thesis, thisthesis does not contain

material published elsewhere or extracted from a thesis by which I have qualified

for or been awarded another degree or diploma.

No other person’s work has been used without due acknowledgment in the main

text of the thesis. This thesis has not been submitted for the award of any degree

or diploma in any other tertiary institution.

Ho Chi Minh City, September 2021

NGUYEN THI BAO TRINH

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This Master of Arts in TESOL thesis isthe result of a fruitful collaboration of all the people

who have kindly contributed with an enormous commitment and enthusiasm in my

research. Without the help of those who supported me at all times and in all possible ways,

it would not have been feasible for me to complete my M.A.thesis.

First of all, I am deeply indebted to my supervisor, Associate. Professor, Dr. Pham Vu Phi

Ho, whose compassion; encouragement and guidance throughout the research have

supported me in the thesis completion. I have truly learned from his excellent knowledge

and wide experience in research.

I am also sincerely grateful to all lecturers of the Open University in Ho Chi Minh City for

providing me valuable sources of intellectual knowledge during my study.

This knowledge was very useful when I conducted this research. I owe a great debt of

gratitude to the participating teachers and students at the Asian International School (Van

Thanh Campus) who contributed data to this thesis. Without them, the data collection for

this study could not properly been carried out.

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ABSTRACT

Written corrective feedback (WCF) is significantly important for students as it can help

them enhance their second language writing ability. This study aimed at investigating if

there are any mismatches between teachers’ beliefs and self-reported practices as well as

teachers’ practices and students’ preferences on WCF including value, timing, sources,

strategies, amount, and focus of WCF. Relevant literature regarding teachers’ beliefs and

practices and students’ preferences on WCF were reviewed. Based upon this conceptual

framework, the researcher conducted survey study with mixed-methods design, which were

quantitatively and qualitatively, respectively. Data were collected and analyzed through the

tools of questionnaires and interviews with 12 teachers and 141 pre- intermediate students

at the Asian International School. The findings of this study showed that there were

incongruences between the teachers’ beliefs and their classroom practices about how

often, who, and which errors that the WCF was provided. Besides, the teachers’ classroom

practices mismatched their students’ preferences of WCF for certain aspects, i.e. frequency

rate, sources, strategies, and focus of WCF. The study concluded with pedagogical

implications and a recommendation for further studyin the line of research on WCF.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

STATEMENT OF AUTHORSHIP ..............................................................................................................................i

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS........................................................................................................................................ ii

ABSTRACT .............................................................................................................................................................. iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS ...........................................................................................................................................iv

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION ...............................................................................................................................1

1.1. Rationale to the study .....................................................................................................................................1

1.2. Statements of the problems.............................................................................................................................2

1.3. Research aims.................................................................................................................................................3

1.4. Research questions .........................................................................................................................................3

1.5. Significance of the study.................................................................................................................................4

1.6. Structure of the thesis.....................................................................................................................................4

CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW......................................................................................................................5

2.1. Approaches to teaching writing ......................................................................................................................5

2.1.1. Approaches to teaching writing: product approach versus process approach..........................................5

2.1.2. Social constructivism learning theory......................................................................................................6

2.2. Feedback in teaching writing ..........................................................................................................................7

2.3. Written corrective feedback............................................................................................................................7

2.3.1. Definition of corrective feedback ............................................................................................................7

2.3.2. Definition of written corrective feedback................................................................................................7

2.3.3. Value of written corrective feedback.......................................................................................................7

2.3.4. Strategies of written corrective feedback.................................................................................................8

2.3.5. Sources of written corrective feedback....................................................................................................8

2.3.6. Timing of written corrective feedback.....................................................................................................9

2.3.7. Amount of written corrective feedback ...................................................................................................9

2.3.8. Focus of written corrective feedback.....................................................................................................10

2.4. Teachers’ beliefs and practices on written corrective feedback ...................................................................10

2.5. Students’ Preferences on written corrective feedback..................................................................................12

2.6. Previous studies and research gaps...............................................................................................................14

2.6.1. Teachers’ beliefs and practices on written corrective feedback ............................................................14

2.6.2. Students’ preferences of written corrective feedback............................................................................16

2.7. Conceptual framework .................................................................................................................................18

2.8. Chapter summary..........................................................................................................................................18

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CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY.............................................................................................................................19

3.1. Research context...........................................................................................................................................19

3.2. Research participants....................................................................................................................................19

3.3. Research design ............................................................................................................................................22

3.4. Research instruments....................................................................................................................................22

3.4.1. Questionnaires for teachers and students...............................................................................................23

3.4.2. Interviews for teachers and students......................................................................................................26

3.5. Data analytical framework............................................................................................................................27

3.5.1. Research question 1 ...............................................................................................................................27

3.5.2. Research question 2 ...............................................................................................................................28

3.6. Methodological issues ..................................................................................................................................29

3.6.1. Reliability ..............................................................................................................................................29

3.6.2. Validity..................................................................................................................................................30

3.6.3. Ethnics...................................................................................................................................................33

3.6.4. Triangulation .........................................................................................................................................31

3.7. Chapter summary..........................................................................................................................................32

CHAPTER 4: FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION........................................................................................................32

4.1. Research Question 1: To what extent are the teachers’ beliefs incongruent with self-reported practices of

WCF in writing classes?......................................................................................................................................35

4.1.1. Data analysis..........................................................................................................................................35

4.1.2. Discussion of research question 1: To what extent are the teachers’ beliefs incongruent with self￾reported practices of written corrective feedback inwriting classes?.............................................................49

4.2. Research question 2: What is the relationship between the students’ stated preferences and the teachers’

self-reported practices of written corrective feedback inwriting classes? ..........................................................52

4.2.1. Data analysis..........................................................................................................................................52

4.2.2. Discussion of research question 2: What is the relationship between the students’ stated preferences

and the teachers’ self-reported practices of written corrective feedback inwriting classes?..........................63

4.3. Chapter summary..........................................................................................................................................66

CHAPTER 5: CONCLUSIONS................................................................................................................................67

5.1. Conclusions of key findings .........................................................................................................................67

5.2. Implications..................................................................................................................................................69

5.3. Limitations....................................................................................................................................................70

5.4. Recommendations ........................................................................................................................................71

5.5. Chapter summary..........................................................................................................................................71

REFERENCES.........................................................................................................................................................73

Appendix A...............................................................................................................................................................79

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Questionnaire with teachers (English version)..................................................................................................... 79

Appendix B............................................................................................................................................................ 81

Questionnaire with teachers (Vietnamese version) .............................................................................................. 81

Appendix C. .......................................................................................................................................................... 83

Questionnaire with students (English version)..................................................................................................... 83

Appendix D........................................................................................................................................................... 84

Questionnaire with students (Vietnamese Version).............................................................................................. 84

Appendix E............................................................................................................................................................ 85

Interview Prompts with teachers (English version).............................................................................................. 85

Appendix F............................................................................................................................................................ 86

Interview Prompts with teachers (Vietnamese version)........................................................................................ 86

Appendix G. .......................................................................................................................................................... 87

Interview Protocol with students (English version)80

Appendix H. .......................................................................................................................................................... 87

Interview Protocol with students (Vietnamese version) ....................................................................................... 88

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LIST OF TABLES

Table 3.1. Profile of the student participants........................................................................................ 20

Table 3.2. Profile of the teacher participants........................................................................................ 21

Table 3.3. The link between research questions andresearch instruments........................................... 23

Table 3.4. Description of questionnaires for teachers and students ..................................................... 24

Table 4.1. Relationship between teachers’ beliefs and practices: Value of written corrective feedback

...............................................................................................................................................................33

Table 4.2. Interview results: teachers’ beliefsand practices ................................................................ 34

Table 4.3. Relationship between teachers’ beliefs and practices: Timing of written corrective feedback

...............................................................................................................................................................36

Table 4.4. Relationship between teachers’ beliefs and practices: Sources of written corrective

feedback ................................................................................................................................................ 38

Table 4.5. Relationship between teachers’ beliefs and practices: Strategies of written corrective

feedback ................................................................................................................................................ 40

Table 4.6. Relationship between teachers’ beliefs and practices: Amount of written corrective

feedback ................................................................................................................................................ 43

Table 4.7. Relationship between teachers’ beliefs and practices: Focus of written corrective feedback

...............................................................................................................................................................45

Table 4.8. Relationship between teachers’ practices and students’ preferences: Value of written

corrective feedback ............................................................................................................................... 52

Table 4.9. Interview results: Students’ preferences .............................................................................. 53

Table 4.10. Relationship between teachers’ practices and students’ preferences: Timing of written

corrective feedback ............................................................................................................................... 54

Table 4.11. Relationship between teachers’ practices and students’ preferences: Sources of written

corrective feedback ............................................................................................................................... 56

Table 4.12. Relationship between teachers’ practices and students’ preferences: Strategies of written

corrective feedback ............................................................................................................................... 57

Table 4.13. Relationship between teachers’ practices and students’ preferences: Amount of written

corrective feedback ............................................................................................................................... 59

Table 4.14. Relationship between teachers’ practices and students’ preferences: Focus of written

corrective feedback ............................................................................................................................... 61

Page

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LIST OF FIGURES

Page

Figure 2.1. Conceptual framework........................................................................................................18