Date of Defense
21-4-2025 5:00 PM
Location
H1-0052
Document Type
Thesis Defense
Degree Name
Master of Education (Curriculum and Instruction)
College
CEDU
Department
Curriculum and Methods of Instruction
First Advisor
Jamie Costley
Keywords
EFL Writing; Rubric-Based Feedback; Revision Practices; Learning Transfer; Cognitive Load; L1 Interference
Abstract
This study explores how rubric-based feedback influences the writing development of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners, with a particular focus on their revision practices, learning transfer, and the challenges they face with cognitive overload. The research was carried out in a high school context in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), aiming to understand the real impact of structured feedback on students’ writing performance.
Twenty Arabic-speaking students participated in the study, completing four essay writing tasks over eight weeks. These included a pre-test, two feedback-supported drafts, and a post-test. Their essays were assessed using an analytic rubric designed to evaluate key areas of writing, such as grammar, sentence structure, cohesion and coherence, content relevance, and clarity of expression. To gain a fuller understanding, the study combined quantitative analysis (paired t-tests and regression analysis) with qualitative examination of students' writing and feedbackresponses.
The findings showed that while students made noticeable improvements in their revisions, the progress varied across different aspects of writing. Feedback related to cohesion and coherence seemed to have a more lasting impact, while grammar-related feedback often led to immediate corrections but less evidence of long-term retention. The study also found that students sometimes struggled with cognitive overload, especially when presented with too much feedback at once.
Moreover, the qualitative analysis uncovered traces of first-language (L1) influence, particularly in sentence structuring and transitions, which reflects the unique challenges Arabic-speaking learners encounter when writing in English. Drawing on these insights, the study offers practical recommendations for classroom practice, emphasizing the need to balance the amount and type of feedback provided, while also being mindful of students' cognitive capacity and linguistic background.
Included in
THE IMPACT OF RUBRIC-BASED FEEDBACK ON EFL WRITING PROFICIENCY: EXPLORING REVISION SKILLS, LEARNING TRANSFER, AND COGNITIVE OVERLOAD
H1-0052
This study explores how rubric-based feedback influences the writing development of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners, with a particular focus on their revision practices, learning transfer, and the challenges they face with cognitive overload. The research was carried out in a high school context in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), aiming to understand the real impact of structured feedback on students’ writing performance.
Twenty Arabic-speaking students participated in the study, completing four essay writing tasks over eight weeks. These included a pre-test, two feedback-supported drafts, and a post-test. Their essays were assessed using an analytic rubric designed to evaluate key areas of writing, such as grammar, sentence structure, cohesion and coherence, content relevance, and clarity of expression. To gain a fuller understanding, the study combined quantitative analysis (paired t-tests and regression analysis) with qualitative examination of students' writing and feedbackresponses.
The findings showed that while students made noticeable improvements in their revisions, the progress varied across different aspects of writing. Feedback related to cohesion and coherence seemed to have a more lasting impact, while grammar-related feedback often led to immediate corrections but less evidence of long-term retention. The study also found that students sometimes struggled with cognitive overload, especially when presented with too much feedback at once.
Moreover, the qualitative analysis uncovered traces of first-language (L1) influence, particularly in sentence structuring and transitions, which reflects the unique challenges Arabic-speaking learners encounter when writing in English. Drawing on these insights, the study offers practical recommendations for classroom practice, emphasizing the need to balance the amount and type of feedback provided, while also being mindful of students' cognitive capacity and linguistic background.