A case study of Chinese master’s students’ perceptions of supervisors’ use of evaluative language in feedback

Purpose This study intended to bridge the gap by investigating Chinese master’s students’ perceptions of their supervisors’ use of evaluative language in feedback, from both cognitive and affective perspectives, at a Sino-foreign university in mainland China. Design/methodology/approach Employing a qualitative research design, 12 participants from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences and the Faculty of Economics and Finance were included. Data were collected through individual semi-structured interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings The findings show that students perceive directive and actionable evaluative language, as well as evaluative language aligned with assessment criteria as effective, facilitating improvement and self-regulated learning. However, the use of evaluative language can evoke mixed emotions, with linguistic devices and inadequate follow-up explanations reinforcing negative feelings. Additionally, power imbalances between supervisors and students influence feedback perceptions, hindering students’ active participation in feedback processes. Originality/value This study addresses a gap in the literature on master’s students’ perceptions of evaluative language in supervisory feedback and provides practical recommendations for both thesis supervisors and master’s students to facilitate the acceptance and application of feedback.