Final draft feedback in first-year composition: A case study of non-native English speaking students in North America

Abstract

Scope and Method of Study: This dissertation examines final draft feedback in a first year composition class consisting of both native and non-native speakers of English (NES & NNES). The research was carried out by the instructor who employed both quantitative and qualitative methodologies.

Findings and Conclusions: The survey results indicate that students value teacher commentary on their final drafts and believe that more specific commentary would be useful to them. The results from the case studies offer evidence that they paid attention to the teacher's responses to their final drafts regardless of whether the response came in oral or written form. This study reveals that students attended to those features of final draft feedback that had the greatest effect on their final grades. This study has pedagogical and research implications. It suggests that more research needs to examine the effect of grades on future writing. It also suggests that if teachers want their feedback on final drafts to have an effect on future drafts they should consider making their grade calculations specific. This specificity motivates students to attend to the final draft feedback.