Feedback Preferences and Psychological Perspectives on Student Engagement: Affective, Cognitive, and Behavioral Dimensions

Abstract

Verbal instruction serves as the primary method by which teachers disseminate knowledge, while teacher feedback plays a significant role in ensuring the smooth progression of pedagogical activities. This study investigates teacher feedback language in high school English classrooms, aiming to explore feedback patterns and the preferences of both teachers and students. It also examines whether second language proficiency affects students’ engagement with feedback across affective, cognitive, and behavioral dimensions. Observations of four teachers and online questionnaires administered to students revealed nine distinct feedback patterns. Teachers frequently employed elicitation to guide students in recognizing their own errors and tended to use positive feedback. Questionnaire results showed that students preferred positive feedback over negative feedback and expected feedback to be specific and targeted. The interview indicated that high- and low-level students exhibited differences in their affective, cognitive, and behavioral engagement with teacher feedback. This study contributes empirical evidence to teacher feedback language research and offers valuable insights for English language teaching.