Teacher Feedback Practices in L2 Classrooms Today: Evaluating What Works and Why
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53103/cjlls.v6i4.284Keywords:
Constructive Feedback, Second Language (L2) Classrooms, Teacher-Centred Vs. Learner-Centred Strategies, Dialogic Feedback, Ghanaian Senior High Schools, Affective EngagementAbstract
This study investigated the pedagogical strategies employed by educators to deliver constructive feedback in English as a second language (ESL) classrooms, with a specific focus on selected senior high schools in Ghana. A mixed-methods research design was adopted, integrating quantitative data from learner and teacher questionnaires with qualitative insights derived from semi-structured interviews. Analytical procedures involved descriptive statistics for numerical data and thematic analysis for narrative content, enabling a comprehensive synthesis of measurable patterns and experiential accounts. The results indicate that direct corrective feedback and oral explanatory comments constitute the predominant instructional approaches among teachers. Nevertheless, the implementation of these strategies is substantially constrained by practical obstacles, including oversized class populations, limited instructional time, and excessive professional workloads. Although learners generally perceived feedback as beneficial to their linguistic accuracy and conceptual understanding, a subset reported affective challenges—namely, anxiety and discomfort—that diminished their receptivity and active engagement with the feedback provided. Furthermore, the study reveals that prevailing feedback practices remain predominantly teacher-directed, offering minimal scaffolding for learner autonomy or substantive dialogic interaction around the feedback received. In essence, while feedback represents an indispensable component of second language instruction, its pedagogical value is contingent upon both the modality of its delivery and the nature of learners' psychological and cognitive responses. Consequently, the study advocates a paradigm shift toward more learner-centred, interactional feedback models. Recommendations include enhanced professional development programmes for teachers and the institutional integration of dialogic feedback frameworks to foster more responsive, reciprocal, and effective learning environments.
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