Students’ Perceptions of Teacher Feedback in EFL Speaking Classes: A Comparison with AI-assisted Feedback
Speaking is a challenging skill that often requires support, making teacher feedback an essential part of EFL speaking instruction. Recent developments in AI have created opportunities for EFL learners to receive feedback during speaking practice. However, in the Vietnamese context, previous research has largely focused on teacher feedback and AI-assisted feedback separately, with less attention to students’ comparative perceptions of the two feedback sources. This study aimed to examine and compare students' perceptions of teacher feedback and AI-assisted feedback in EFL speaking classes. A total of 101 first-year English-major students at University of Transport Ho Chi Minh City participated in the study. An explanatory sequential mixed-methods design was used, combining Likert-scale questionnaires with semi-structured interviews. Questionnaire data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, while interview data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The results showed that students valued teacher feedback for its usefulness (M = 4.21) and clarity (M = 4.13). In contrast, AI-assisted feedback was valued for its immediacy (M = 3.99) and ability to reduce speaking anxiety (M = 3.80). Taken together, the findings suggest that teacher feedback and AI-assisted feedback can play complementary roles in EFL speaking instruction.