The Power of Teacher Feedback in Academic Writing

Abstract Book of the 11th International Conference on Future of Teaching and Education

Year: 2026

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The Power of Teacher Feedback in Academic Writing

Aytan Ismayilzada

ABSTRACT:

Teacher feedback is a central component of academic writing development, particularly for learners preparing for high-stakes exams such as IELTS. I am a director of a language school and IELTS trainer and this study investigates students’ perceptions of the usefulness of different types of teacher feedback in academic writing, with the aim of identifying which forms of feedback are considered most supportive of learning. A quantitative survey was administered to 145 IELTS students enrolled in upper-intermediate and advanced writing classes. The instrument consisted of twelve Likert-scale questions assessing the perceived usefulness of direct feedback, indirect feedback, comments on structure, vocabulary-related feedback, and grammar-focused feedback. Descriptive statistical methods—including mean scores, frequency counts, and percentage distributions—were used to analyze the responses.
The anticipated findings suggest that students rate direct feedback as the most useful for improving writing accuracy, followed closely by grammar comments and structure-related feedback. Indirect feedback, while still valued, is expected to receive comparatively lower ratings, indicating that learners prefer clearer and more explicit correction. The results highlight the need for a balanced feedback approach that combines direct correction for immediate clarity with structural and lexical guidance to support higher-order writing development.
This research contributes practical insights for language teachers by emphasizing the types of feedback students perceive as most effective. The findings may inform classroom practice, feedback policy, and future research in second language writing pedagogy.

Keywords: Academic Writing, Teacher Feedback, Student Perceptions, Direct Feedback, Indirect Feedback, IELTS Writing, Quantitative Survey, Second Language Writing, Feedback Effectiveness, Writing Pedagogy