Exploring Students’ Psychological Challenges to Feedback in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) Context

Abstract

This study investigates the psychological challenges faced by English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students following oral corrective feedback (OCF). While previous research has largely focused on the linguistic accuracy, and proficiency outcomes of feedback, this study addresses a gap in quantitative research regarding the direct relationship between OCF and students’ psychological challenges. The study employed a quantitative survey design. Data were collected using a 33 item closed-ended questionnaire adopted from Hartono (2022), utilizing a 5-point Likert scale to measure 11 psychological dimensions. The participants consisted of 96 English Education Department students at a university in Yogyakarta. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, including measures of mean and standard deviation to summarize student responses. Reliability was confirmed with a Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient of 0.908. The findings reveal that the most significant psychological challenges for students are self-efficacy and confidence (M=3.46), nervousness (M=3.25), and worry about making oral mistakes (M=3.05). Specifically, students frequently "think many times before speaking" (M=3.73) and feel "guilty about mistakes" (M=3.57). Conversely, students showed the least concern regarding indifference (M=2.11), indicating they value teacher corrections. Feeling insulted and offended after receiving feedback is the second least psychological challenge for the students (M=2.21) indicating that they did not feel resentment when corrected, and did not feel insulted before their peers when they got corrected. Feeling bothered by feedback is the third least problematic psychological challenge for the students (M=2.28) this indicates that students feel comfortable when they are given feedback.