Feedback literacy of first-year ELT department students: The case of Çukurova University

As education increasingly emphasizes learner-centered approaches, feedback has gained considerable attention as a key element in supporting student learning. Previous studies have widely explored its role in promoting academic development and encouraging autonomy among learners. Considering this growing emphasis on feedback within learner-centered education, the concept of feedback literacy has emerged as a crucial skill set for both learners and educators, particularly in the field of language teaching. Understanding feedback literacy phenomena is particularly important for English Language Teaching students, as their ability to engage with and use feedback will significantly influence how effectively they support their future learners. This study aimed to comprehensively examine the feedback literacy of the first-year ELT department students at Çukurova University in Türkiye, addressing a gap in the literature and offering both theoretical and practical contributions. Employing a mixed-methods approach, this descriptive study investigated students' overall feedback literacy levels as well as the ways in which their conceptions of feedback were reflected in their literacy. Furthermore, the study examined whether prior attendance in an English preparatory year influenced students' feedback literacy levels. Qualitative data, collected via semi-structured interviews, helped to understand students' experiences, reflections, and perceptions of feedback. Quantitative data were gathered using the Student Feedback Literacy Scale (SFLS), adapted into Turkish, which assessed six key dimensions: Appreciation of Feedback, Readiness to Engage, Eliciting Feedback, Processing Feedback, Enacting Feedback, and Commitment to Change. Overall, the findings indicate that students are relatively feedback literate. While they typically value and appreciate feedback, they struggle with acting on it, particularly when it comes to emotionally connecting to and responding to critical feedback. In addition, the analysis showed that attending the preparatory year had no statistically significant impact on students' overall feedback literacy levels. These results highlight the need for targeted pedagogical strategies to foster both affective readiness and effective engagement with feedback among first-year ELT students, as both the depth of their feedback understanding and their ability to act on it are essential for their development as future teachers who will themselves be responsible for providing effective feedback. Keywords: English language teaching, feedback, feedback literacy, first-year English language teaching department students, descriptive study