CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM AND PRAISE: EXPLORING STUDENT RECEPTION OF TEACHERS’ FEEDBACK STRATEGIES IN IMPROVING THEIR WRITTEN OUTPUT

Abstract

Feedback is a central element of English language teaching, shaping learners’ writing skills and academic
engagement. Although constructive, timely, and consistent feedback is known to improve performance,
many students disregard written comments, limiting their developmental impact. This study explores how
senior high school students respond to constructive criticism and praise in their written outputs, addressing
a gap in existing literature that often treats feedback in general terms rather than focusing on writingspecific
strategies.
Grounded
in
Self-Regulated
Learning
Theory
and
Feedback
Intervention
Theory,
the

research
employed
a
mixed-methods
explanatory
sequential
design.
Quantitative
data
were
collected
from

128
Grade
12
students
at
LCC
Silvercrest
Senior
High
School,
selected
through
random
sampling
across

ABM,

HUMSS, STEM, ICT, and HE strands, to examine perceptions of feedback clarity, quality,
timeliness, and their effects on motivation, writing performance, and self-efficacy. Qualitative interviews
and open-ended responses provided deeper insights. Findings revealed that students viewed feedback
positively, describing it as clear, organized, detailed, and timely. Statistical analysis confirmed significant
relationships between clarity, quality, timeliness, and improved learning, motivation, and writing
performance, though no significant correlation emerged with self-efficacy. The study recommends clear,
specific comments, balanced use of criticism and praise, and prompt delivery to strengthen writing skills
and prepare students for advanced academic tasks.