EXPLORING THE COGNITIVE INVOLVEMENT OF EFL STUDENTS DURING THEIR REVISION PROCESSES OF TEACHER FEEDBACK

This study explores the cognitive engagement of intermediate EFL university students with teacher written corrective feedback (WCF) during their revision processes. The investigation focused on three sub-dimensions of cognitive engagement: depth of processing, cognitive strategies, and metacognitive strategies. Data were collected over three months through multiple methods, including the analysis of students' drafts, teacher feedback, stimulated recalls, and semi-structured interviews. Findings revealed five levels of depth of processing (unconscious disregarding, intentional neglecting, noticing, inaccurate understanding, and accurate understanding), highlighting variations in how students processed feedback. Cognitive strategies, such as reasoning and memorization, and metacognitive strategies, including planning and reviewing, were identified as critical components of engagement. The interplay between cognitive and behavioral engagement was also observed, particularly in students’ use of external resources for reviewing drafts. While personality traits and proficiency levels influenced engagement, the findings emphasized the complexity and multidimensional nature of learner engagement with WCF. Limitations include the short research period and a homogeneous sample. Future research could explore engagement over a longer duration and across varying proficiency levels to yield deeper insights. KEYWORDS: Teacher Written Corrective Feedback, Cognitive Engagement, Depth of Processing, Cognitive Strategies, Metacognitive Strategies, Second Language Writing, Efl Students