Constructive feedback and writing skills

Abstract

The main objective of this research was to determine the effectiveness of constructive feedback in improving the writing skills of 37 second-semester students of the Pedagogy of National and Foreign Languages degree at Universidad Técnica de Ambato, using a pre-experimental design with an experimental group. To measure progress, a pre-test, interventions and a post-test based on the Cambridge KET test (level A2) were applied, which evaluated the production of emails, articles, essays, among others, according to content, organization and language criteria of the Cambridge rubric. Constructive feedback was implemented through two main methods: written and oral feedback by the researcher and peer feedback. These methods allowed students to receive specific and constructive evaluations on their work, which helped them identify areas for improvement and develop their writing skills more effectively. Data analysis using the Wilcoxon test revealed a significant improvement in content and organization skills as participants did not show a good level in their written productions before the interventions and post-test, thus having deficiencies in the three criteria evaluated such as: use of connectors, linking words, structure of written texts. In addition, constructive feedback had a notable impact on students' motivation and confidence, as receiving specific comments and participating in peer reviews made them feel more supported and valued in their learning process. The results suggest that constructive feedback not only improves technical writing skills, but also fosters a positive and motivating learning environment, increasing students' willingness to face writing tasks with greater enthusiasm and self-confidence.