Giving Model Feedback As Writing Instruction To Large Classes In High Schools

Peer feedback and teacher feedback as part of a process approach have gained more attention in writing research in China. Research overseas has in recent decades focused on the individual writer's composing process, and contextual and societal issues of writing. In other words, the influence of specific contextual factors needs to be considered for doing research. The present study is done in the examination-oriented senior high school context, aiming at finding the impact of feedback on writing and the influence of such examination-oriented contextual factors on the form of feedback.During the course of the study, peer feedback was first designed as a main variable that influenced the research. However, with the development of the research, model feedback was initiated by the author as a relatively more suitable method for large English writing classes. It turned out to be an effective way to improve students' writing and peer feedback, and also promote cooperative learning.83 students in one class from Grade Two of a senior high school in Xinye County in Henan province participated in the research. Both quantitative and qualitative data were obtained, including a pre-questionnaire and a post-questionnaire for students, one questionnaire for teachers, and scores of three composition drafts together with a five-student interview. During the three-month research, the researcher and the English teacher carried out the process-oriented approach in the writing class. In order to improve the students' interest in peer feedback, writing abilities and the cooperative...