Enhancing Students' Engagement and Participation through Teachers’ Oral Feedback in Basic-Level EFL Classrooms

Abstract

This study aims to explore how different types of oral feedback provided by teachers enhance students' engagement and participation in EFL classrooms at the basic level. A qualitative research design was applied, using interviews as the tool for data collection. Three English teachers who have at least five years of experience teaching English were chosen purposefully from three different schools of Neelakantha Municipality, Dhading. In-depth interviews and follow-up discussions were conducted with the teachers. The findings indicate that positive and supportive feedback increases students’ confidence and motivation. The feedback encourages them to take part in different activities, including classwork, homework, group work, and interactions. However, large classrooms, lack of teacher training, and time constraints to finish courses hinder equal opportunity for each individual to provide oral feedback. The study reveals that increased student participation in language learning through oral feedback contributes to the creation of an appropriate, supportive, and interactive learning environment. In contrast, excessive corrective feedback discourages learners from further engaging in learning activities. The study highlights the importance of interactive teaching practices, such as open-ended questioning, Socratic dialogue, and group discussions, in maximizing the usefulness of oral feedback in the learning process.