Scaffolding in Feedback-Correction Practices: Teacher Support and Peer Collaboration

A growing body of research has been undertaken on the role of scaffolding in students’ learning process in second language (L2) education. However, the role of scaffolding in feedback-correction practices remains under-researched. Building upon the theoretical concept of scaffolding, this study employed teacher support and peer collaboration to examine how these scaffolding sources facilitate student engagement with feedback-correction practices and how students engage in the scaffolding process. The study involved 31 EFL students at a secondary school in Vietnam in an intervention of correcting language issues in their letters and descriptions for eight weeks. The data of this qualitative study include audio recordings of the students’ group corrections and the teachers’ assistance. The findings showed that teacher support and peer collaboration facilitated student engagement, but their engagement depended on individual factors and language ability. The findings of this study have implications for English speaking and writing classrooms and research in English language pedagogy.