The effects of individual and collaborative processing of written corrective feedback (WCF) on students' writing performance

Although there is significant evidence supporting the positive role of written corrective feedback (WCF) in improving students' writing performance, research exploring the relationship between second language (L2) writing performance and the different types of WCF processing is limited. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the effects of individual and collaborative processing of WCF on students' overall writing performance. Adopting a mixed-method research design, 42 B1 level English Preparatory School students were evenly divided into individual and collaborative groups. The participants wrote four different paragraphs, subsequently generated second drafts, and were provided with WCF for each paragraph through error correction codes. The individual group reviewed the WCF individually, while the collaborative group reviewed the WCF collaboratively by conducting pair discussions before revising their work. The total scores of participants' paragraphs were analyzed within each feedback group separately and between groups. Additionally, the grammatical, lexical, and mechanical errors of participants were analyzed. Findings revealed that both the individual and collaborative processing of WCF is effective in improving students' overall writing performance. Between groups comparison revealed that the collaborative group outperformed the individual group in overall writing performance. While both groups improved their overall writing performance, neither group resolved their grammatical, lexical, or mechanical errors. Participants in the collaborative group considered collaboration an effective practice, whereas the individual group had mixed opinions. The findings are discussed within the context of teaching L2 writing and teachers' role in feedback practices.