Gender differences in the responses of ESL students to teacher feedback

During the past three decades, feedback to the writing of foreign and second language students has received considerable attention from researchers. However, little attention has been paid to the responses of ESL students to this feedback. Moreover, research into a relationship between L2 student response types and certain variables has been ignored. Yet, educational psychology studies of native students have found a relationship between response to feedback and the variable of gender. Two exploratory studies were conducted to examine perceptions of evaluative feedback as a function of the respondent's gender. In the first study, Study A, eleven undergraduate students in one ESL course completed a questionnaire outside of class and their teacher was interviewed to determine the scope of gender differences (i.e., differences between but not within gender) in responsiveness to feedback. The questionnaire data and interview results revealed gender differences in response to negative evaluative feedback. Specifically, a majority of male students criticized their instructor in regard to her negative feedback whereas nearly all female students agreed with her assessments. The second study, Study B, was conducted to examine the findings of the Study A questionnaire. In this study, 31 undergraduate participants in three ESL courses completed self-report questionnaires during class time. Unlike Study A, student response to negative feedback in Study B did not break along gender lines. Also, a majority of male and female students agreed with their teachers' assessments. Possible reasons for the discrepancies between Study A and Study B findings will be discussed as well as future research implications of the discrepancies.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.A.

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Teaching English as a Second Language

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2002

Author dc:creator

• Ferguson, Theresa Ann

Contributors dc:contributor

• Berg, E. Catherine
• Davidson, Fred

• Teaching English as Second Language

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright by Theresa Ann Ferguson, 2002

Language dc:language

eng

Handle dc:identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/125882

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/125882