Teacher Written Feedback Practices and Their Influence on Second Language Student Revision Behaviour in Tertiary English as a Foreign Language Writing Courses

Abstract

Teacher written feedback is widely recognized as a central component of second language (L2) writing instruction, yet the relationship between different feedback practices and students' revision behaviour remains insufficiently understood. This study investigates how teacher written feedback influences revision practices among students enrolled in tertiary English as a Foreign Language (EFL) writing courses in China. The research is grounded in Hyland and Hyland's (2006) feedback taxonomy, Paulus's (1999) revision framework, and Ferris's (2003) research agenda for L2 writing feedback. Employing a mixed-methods design, the study involved 30 university writing instructors and 540 undergraduate EFL students. Data were collected through annotated draft–feedback–revision portfolios, retrospective verbal protocols, and semi-structured interviews with both teachers and students. Teacher feedback was analyzed according to type (directive, facilitative, and praise), instructional focus (content, organization, and language), and degree of specificity, while student revisions were categorized as surface, meaning-preserving, or meaning-changing revisions. Quantitative analysis demonstrated that directive feedback addressing content and organizational issues was most strongly associated with meaning-changing revision (r = .57, p < .001), whereas language-focused feedback primarily resulted in surface-level revisions (r = .64). Facilitative questioning encouraged deeper cognitive engagement and more substantial revisions, although students responded to such feedback less frequently than to directive comments. Qualitative findings revealed considerable variation in how students interpreted teacher feedback, with approximately 31% of feedback instances being misunderstood or interpreted differently from teachers' intended meaning. These mismatches often reduced the effectiveness of the revision process and highlighted the importance of clear, explicit communication. The findings suggest that effective written feedback should balance directive guidance with opportunities for learner reflection while ensuring clarity and specificity. The study contributes to L2 writing pedagogy by emphasizing the importance of feedback literacy, teacher training, and student awareness in promoting meaningful revision and improving academic writing quality in tertiary EFL contexts.