Students Attitudes Towards Oral Corrective Feedback: A Case Study from Oman

Abstract

Understanding students’ attitudes toward oral corrective feedback is pivotal. This case study explored English Language Omani students’ attitudes toward teachers’ oral corrective feedback strategies to check the congruence between teachers’ and students’ preferences. We raised the following questions: What types of oral corrective feedback are used by teachers and preferred by students? Observational data were collected from two Omani English teachers to discern the types and frequencies of Oral Corrective Feedback utilized. Additionally, semi-structured interviews with six students were conducted to gain a holistic view of their perspectives and preferences. Classroom observations were quantitatively scrutinized for data analysis, whereas the interview data underwent a grounded theory procedure. The data demonstrated that teachers predominantly employed the ‘recast’ type of feedback. Notably, students showcased a generally positive attitude towards Oral Corrective Feedback. They preferred the ‘repetition’ and ‘elicitation’ feedback types. Moreover, internal factors, like personal motivation and language proficiency, and external factors, such as curriculum challenges and teacher personalities, emerged as significant influencers of their attitudes and choices. The study unearthed an incongruence between students’ preferences and the teachers’ actual Oral Corrective Feedback practices. This incongruence suggests potential impediments to the effectiveness of feedback in facilitating optimal learning experiences. There is a need to bridge the gap between teaching practices and student preferences to improve learning outcomes and feedback.