What’s Next for Feedback in Writing Instruction? Pre-Service Teachers’ Perceptions of Assessment Practices and the Role of Generative AI

Providing effective feedback on writing remains a challenge for teachers. Among the tools and strategies being explored to address this issue is generative artificial intelligence (AI), due to its potential to deliver immediate and tailored feedback that complements teacher input. However, successful implementation requires understanding the views of those likely to integrate such tools into their future teaching practice. This quasi-experimental study explores pre-service teachers’ perceptions of the inclusion of generative AI-generated feedback. A control group received teacher feedback on their writing, while an experimental group received a combination of teacher and AI-generated feedback. After the intervention, participants’ views on the feedback received and their preparedness for assessing writing were analyzed. Results reveal more positive perceptions among the experimental group, along with greater confidence in their ability to teach and assess writing. Although both groups acknowledged the need to improve their own linguistic knowledge and assessment strategies, and emphasized the importance of teacher-led feedback, participants in the experimental group also advocated for including AI tools. This highlights the need to strengthen linguistic knowledge and assessment training in teacher education, as well as the positive attitudes and openness towards generative AI among those who have experienced its potential in feedback provision.