The Effect of Feedback on Writing Motivation

Abstract

Writing is an essential skill for all students. Yet, many students lack motivation to write.Students are more likely to succeed when they are motivated. In fact, “In this culture of evidence, as he notes, the construct of motivation has become of increasing significance: Students who are motivated are likely to produce better outcomes” (Burstein et al., 2021 Student motivation is impacted by teacher feedback. Similarly, writing is impacted by teacher feedback. A review of literature was conducted to examine topics related to the problem stated. The review of literature surrounded the research questions. The review consisted of three categories: student motivation, impact of teacher feedback and methods of feedback. The study conducted was a mixed-method study. As an English teacher that teaches both reading and writing, the study was centered on writing as a response to short stories read in class. The participants were eight Ninth Grade students. The participants were low motivated writers. The study was conducted over eight weeks. Five data sources were used: pre writing questionnaire, Cask of Amontillado alternate ending assignment, The Scarlet Ibis symbolism chart, The Scarlet Ibis formal writing assignment and a post writing conference. In addition, teacher observations and reflections were taken into account. The study findings suggest that students’ motivation can be increased by teacher feedback. Students value verbal conferencing when it comes to evaluating their writing. Students prefer individualized written and verbal feedback to generalized feedback given on a rubric.