The effectiveness of repetition as corrective feedback

Abstract

This study investigated the effectiveness of repetition as corrective feedback in terms of its contribution to student uptake and acquisition, and explored students’ and teachers perceptions of repetition. Data were collected through grammar tests and stimulated-recall interviews. Thirty students in two classes, one control and one experimental, and their teacher participated in the study. In order to discover the effectiveness of repetition as corrective feedback, the classes of the control and the experimental group were observed and videotaped. The feedback episodes in the two classes were transcribed, analyzed, and coded. Grammar tests were created based on these feedback episodes. The test results of the two classes were compared. The results revealed that the experimental class, which was exposed to repetition as corrective feedback, achieved higher scores. In order to find out the students’ and teachers’ perceptions of repetition, interviews were held with five students from each class and with their teacher. They were asked to watch a feedback episode from each class, and then to introspect about them. The students reported that they would prefer repetition. The teacher also said that he would use repetition more often. The findings of the study indicated that repetition as a correction technique may have been effective in terms of its contribution to uptake and learning, and students and teachers had positive attitudes toward repetition.