Pedagogic Models

Traditionally, face to face teaching practices have been highlighted and emphasized by the behaviourist, cognitivist, and constructivist models outlined (Joyce et al. (2009). The table below illustrates a description for each model as well as the practical implication for each one.

Table 3.4 Table of pedagogic models illustration

Model Description Practical Implications

Behaviourist Direct structured instruction from the teacher provides a learning response in the learner. It is assumed that any student can learn any objectives with time and good instruction. Outcome in tests is generally better than other models.

- The learner is told what to do exactly.

-The material is ordered and structured.

-Testing against the objectives is carried out. -Feedback is provided.

Cognitivist Emphasis is put on the interpretation and categorization of information, with motivation, memory and the mental process being more of a priority. Tests need to be modified to measure the mental processing skills.

More weight is given to inquiry, inductive thinking and thought formation.

-What the learner is required to know is identified.

-Information is organized in a way to give the learner time to think and to apply individual styles of learning.

-The learner should evaluate and synthesize information.

-The learner is motivated by intrinsic activities such as simulations from real life.

Constructivist Learner-centred models encourage the individual’s potential using activities designed for this purpose.

This gives high self-concept and self- esteem, and provides more creativity, curiosity and independence. The aim is not so much to give a positive impact on standardized tests but to have a positive impact on the learner.

-Social interactions are contextualized for the learners

-Activities are used from meaningful situations known to the learners. -Learners are encouraged to build on existing knowledge with their own knowledge, after being provided with the right tools and information.

3.10. Summary and Research Gap

As mentioned above, there have been many studies regarding feedback. Most studies either discussed one kind of feedback or compared peer feedback to teacher written feedback. Furthermore, most of these studies were carried out in Asia and none has been done in the Libyan context. It is important, however, to investigate diverse educational contexts.

Thus the efficacy of feedback on improving FL/SL students writing needs to be further investigated especially with more focus on using combined methods which are face to face and written feedback. This study attempts to see whether face to face feedback is more useful to Libyan EFL learners or the WF. This study will also use multiple measures to investigate the effectiveness of feedback on Libyan EFL students at the department of English at a university in Libya. In addition, as mentioned in the first chapter the study will involve students who are not exposed to the English language outside the classroom in order to minimize the factors that can influence the result. The study aims at answering the research questions regarding the importance of feedback and learners’ attitude to this technique.

3.11. Research Questions

The study attempts to answer the following questions based on the research gap that is mentioned above:

1- What is the rate of improvement in writing performance of a group of students given face- to-face feedback?

o What is the rate of improvement in writing performance of a group of students given written feedback?

2- What are Libyan students’ attitudes before and after getting face- to-face feedback?

3- What are the writing teachers’ views towards face to face feedback within the treatment and control groups?

4- How do both the teachers and learners at Libyan higher education deal with face to face feedback in practice?

The researcher intention is to investigate how EFL students perceive different techniques of feedback and which kind of feedback they prefer and why. Having an idea about students’ attitudes and beliefs is important for the study.

3.12. Affective Factors in Language Acquisition

Within the context of learning writing and language acquisition, there are factors that play a role in learning in general and acquiring an L2 in particular. These factors are not related to the methods of teaching or to the syllabus but they are related to the learner. The learner’s attitude about the language and the degree of motivation they show influence their success in learning the various language skills. As mentioned previously, feedback motivates students to learn, so, the following discussion will focus on the influence/impact of motivation on enhancing writing.

3.13. Feedback and Motivation as an Effective Factor in Writing

Motivation is very important, particularly, in learning a foreign language as many researchers have emphasized. Lennon (1993: 41) points out that motivation is “the most important single factor influencing continuing development in oral proficiency’’. Although Lennon mentioned oral proficiency and not writing, his observations can be applied to writing too. Gardner (1985: 147) offered an imperative definition of motivation which is “the effort, want (desire) and affect associated with learning a second language’’ (as cited in Graham 1997: 96). Motivation is an important factor in the learning process and can be achieved through giving feedback to students, in other words when there is a path or guide for learning by pointing the student in the right direction learners tend to work harder and are more motivated to complete their tasks and achieve their aims. “Feedback motivated students by stimulating them to pursue their learning. Students showed a desire to succeed or grasp better understanding” (Orsmond et al. 2002). When teachers provide an effective feedback, the feedback steers the learner in the right way especially in the writing process and when students need to revise their writing.

3.14. Chapter Summary

This part of the study discussed the relationship between providing feedback to students and writing effectively. Firstly, it highlighted what makes writing a hard job in one’s own language as well as in an L2. I discussed, what makes writing a challenge in the Libyan EFL classroom. I introduced academic writing discussing the various approaches to L2 writing (i.e., the product approach, the process approach and the genre approach). This chapter also presented a historical background of the three writing approaches and their characteristics, and limitations.

Feedback was the second part of this chapter; various definitions of feedback were provided based on different researchers’ views. Moreover, the chapter outlined the main types of feedback such as teacher written feedback, peer feedback and face to face feedback in L2 writing with more focus on face to face feedback (Also known as face to face feedback). The chapter also discussed the effectiveness of each type of feedback as well as its limitations. Developing the writing skill through feedback is one of the strategies required because it is essential for the EFL/ESL student to be aware of the strengths and weaknesses of their writing so they can revise their work more effectively. It has been shown that feedback can be effective when:

1- It attempts to meet and rely on the students’ needs.

2- It addresses the meaning and the form of the piece of writing but they do not have to be at the same time; as mentioned in the previous point, feedback should focus on the students’ necessities as “fair is not everyone getting the same thing. Fair is everyone getting what they need in order to be successful”.

Considering these points, feedback enables students to develop the quality of their writing in general. Developing the writing skill through feedback is one of the strategies that lead to a successful product. As indicated in (2.1.1), product writing fulfils its communicative goal when it contains the main criteria which are: appropriate length, logic and coherence, and a readable format. It is a pleasure to read if it is composed of well-constructed sentences and a rich variety of words that clearly express the writer’s intended meaning. This study investigates the usefulness of face to face as feedback strategy in a Libyan context taking into accounts that: 1) negotiation with students about their writing is needed to enhance learning and promote a learning goal orientation via this kind of feedback. 2) Students’ preference for forms of feedback depends on their learning style and 3) applying this method in a different culture may result in a different outcome. The following chapter will investigate the research methodology used.

Chapter Four: Research Methodology, Procedures and Ethical Concerns

‘’Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted’’ (Albert Einstein)