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Characteristics of teacher written feedback on student revision
Author
Lee, Sandra Seow Yen
Supervisor
Silver, Rita
Abstract
This study investigates the effects of teacher written feedback, namely the use of advice, criticism, and praise, on students' writing in the Singapore primary school context. It aims to find out if the various characteristics of feedback will encourage student revision and, in turn, revision success. Data was collected in the form of composition scripts from 33 ten-year old students. Each student was asked to write two compositions and after teacher written feedback was given, the students had to submit a second draft for each of the scripts. In all, 132 composition scripts were collected from the students. They were then given a questionnaire to complete. The analysis of the composition scripts consisted of the identification of the errors made by the students in their original drafts and the type of changes made in their revised drafts, prompted by the three different characteristics of feedback. Three raters ranked the students' compositions using a modified version of Ferris' (1997) subjective rating scale. The revisions were then ranked according to whether the revisions were successful. The findings indicate that most students preferred feedback framed as advice and praise. They responded to the feedback on advise most positively as this led to substantive revisions but they disliked criticism. Neither substantive nor minimal change in revision resulted in revision success. These findings imply that a host of other factors could have played a part in the results. This study thus raises some pedagogical implications for the writing instruction in a Singapore primary school classroom context.
Date Issued
2003
Call Number
PE1068.S55 Lee
Date Submitted
2003