Corrective Feedback in Iraqi Intermediate Writing Courses Text Type, Perception, Accuracy, Fluency and Complexity in Focus

Abstract

       The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the attitudes of Iraqi intermediate English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners toward improvement suggestions from their instructors and their performance on process and compare/contrast writing assignments. Furthermore, the paper examined the influence of teachers' corrective feedback on the precision, intricacy, and fluency of learners' writing in these specific text genres. A quasi-experimental design was utilized, consisting of a control group and an experimental group. The study was conducted at Al-Kufa University, chosen for its convenience. To ensure that the participants possessed upper-intermediate proficiency, sixty third-year TEFL university students (30 male and 30 female) were chosen using the Oxford Quick Placement Test. The study utilized the “Longman Academic Writing Series 3,” the Oxford Quick Placement Test (OQPT), a writing pretest and posttest, a writing rubric and Perception Questionnaire. After obtaining necessary administrative tasks such as consent forms and permissions, the participants underwent the OQPT to standardize their proficiency level. Participants underwent a writing preliminary to set a starting point, and were thereafter divided into either the experimental or control group. At the end of the study, both groups completed writing posttests, and the experimental group also provided feedback on their perceptions of teachers’ corrective feedback. The results indicated a positive and robust relationship between participants’ perceptions of teachers’ corrective feedback and their performance in compare/contrast and process writing tasks. This study emphasizes considering learners' perceptions of teachers' corrective feedback. Teachers should use diverse strategies addressing various writing aspects like accuracy, and fluency. Individual differences in learners should be accounted for in providing feedback.