University Students’ Perceptions of Instructors’ Oral Corrective Feedback in EFL Speaking Classes

Abstract

Oral corrective feedback is an essential component of English as a foreign language (EFL) speaking instruction because it helps learners notice spoken errors, improve accuracy, and develop confidence in oral communication. However, limited mixed-methods research has examined how tertiary students perceive feedback types, timing and frequency, emotional effects, and feedback uptake in EFL speaking classes. This study investigated tertiary students’ perceptions of instructors’ oral corrective feedback through a mixed-methods design. Quantitative data were collected from 385 tertiary students using a researcher-made forty-five-item 5-point Likert-scale questionnaire, while qualitative data were obtained from seventeen voluntary participants through semi-structured interviews. The questionnaire data were analyzed using SPSS v.27 through descriptive statistics and independent-samples t-tests, whereas interview data were processed with NVivo v.12 and examined through thematic analysis. The findings revealed that students showed generally neutral to agreeable perceptions of oral corrective feedback. They valued feedback that was clear, explanatory, regular, timely, and selective, particularly when it helped them recognize errors, improve vocabulary use, and pay greater attention to speaking accuracy. Supportive and polite feedback was viewed positively because it reduced anxiety and strengthened confidence. The study concludes that oral corrective feedback should be accurate, supportive, context-sensitive, and responsive to learners’ emotional needs and speaking development.