Exploring an EFL Student’s Engagement with Supervisor’s Written Corrective Feedback in Undergraduate Thesis Writing

This study explores the engagement of an EFL student with written corrective feedback on her undergraduate thesis writing, considering individual and contextual factors as well as affective, behavioral, and cognitive dimensions of her responses. Employing a qualitative narrative inquiry design, in-depth interviews were conducted to collect the data. Through the process of transcription and repeated readings of the transcripts, preliminary codes capturing engagement-related information emerged. These codes were compared across transcripts to create categories aligned with student engagement and contextual factors. The student’s engagement with written corrective feedback was influenced by her commitment to learning English, positive attitudes, and active participation in language-related events. These factors contributed to her improvement, reflected in her successful undergraduate thesis, which showcases critical thinking. The student’s responses to feedback demonstrated affective, behavioral, and cognitive engagement as she embraced criticism, made adjustments, acknowledged mistakes, and valued feedback. Her revisions and thoughtful consideration of activities reflected behavioral and cognitive involvement. This study suggests that engagement with written corrective feedback is shaped by efforts, beliefs, talents, and past experiences. Future research should explore effective methods to involve students in the revision process, a personalize feedback, and encourage active responses. By doing so, educators and supervisors can promote improved learning outcomes and writing abilities among undergraduate thesis students.