Exploring Ninth-Grade EFL Students’ Perceptions of Dynamic Written Corrective Feedback and AI-Assisted Writing Feedback

Abstract

Writing is one of the most difficult skills for English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners, especially when there is limited opportunity for writing revision and continuous improvement in traditional written corrective feedback. This qualitative study examined the perception of DWCF and computer-mediated feedback (CMCF) by the ninth-grade EFL students of a private school in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) regarding different aspects of writing development such as content, organization, vocabulary, grammar, and mechanics. Six ninth-grade students were interviewed using a semi-structured approach to explore their experiences of DWCF and their perspectives on the use of digital technologies in DWCF feedback. The interview data were analyzed in the seven phases of the interview analysis protocol by an inductive thematic approach.  The results indicated that DWCF was a meaningful, structured, timely, manageable teaching method and that it helped the students to be more aware of their writing errors, repeat their writing and improve their confidence in writing, and become more self-reliant in their writing. Positive attitudes toward computer-mediated feedback were also expressed by the participants, including their enjoyment of the access to it, its clarity, immediacy, and organizational advantages.