Engaging second language (L2) students with synchronous written corrective feedback in technology-enhanced learning contexts: A mixed-methods study

While there is a growing body of studies on written corrective feedback (WCF) in current literature, little is known about how L2 learners attend to synchronous WCF (SWCF), an innovation of providing WCF, and what factors influence their engagement. To fill the gaps, our study examined L2 learners’ affective, behavioral, and cognitive engagement with such a practice, and the factors contributing to their engagement in the Chinese EFL contexts. Drawing upon a mixed-methods approach, our study comprised two phases (survey study and in-depth study) and collected data from multiple sources including questionnaires, students’ revised drafts of writing, teacher SWCF, semi-structured interviews, and writing journals. The results from survey study and in-depth study showed that Chinese EFL learners generally displayed positive engagement with SWCF in affective, behavioral, and cognitive dimensions, and their engagement was influenced by factors related to students significantly. Specifically, factors including students’ English proficiency, enjoyment of English learning, digital literacy, beliefs about SWCF, and teacher-student relationships were found to mediate whether students could make full use of SWCF and reap benefits from it. The findings of our study contribute to a fine-grained understanding of how learners attended to SWCF from the three perspectives and generate useful implications for promoting their engagement.