Exploring tertiary students’ metacognitive writing processes in academic writing tasks with automated written corrective feedback software

Abstract Students in EFL writing classrooms have been increasingly relying on Automated Written Corrective Feedback (AWCF) software as a quick solution to polishing up their writing. Nevertheless, few studies have looked into the metacognitive process of how students interpret, reflect on, and apply the feedback provided. This study explores the interaction of tertiary-level students using an AWCF software in academic writing tasks. Reflective journals and transcriptions from group discussions are adopted to collect data on how students accept or reject the feedback provided by the AWCF software. Findings illustrate students’ iterative thinking processes in pre-, mid-, and post-stages of writing with AWCF-assisted software. Additionally, students highlight key challenges including difficulties in integrating feedback into their writing and the risk of over-reliance on automated corrections. The study concludes by discussing the pedagogic value of incorporating reflective journals in writing classrooms and implications on the practicality of using AWCF software.