Advancing Written Feedback Practice Through a Teacher-Researcher Collaboration in a University Spanish Program

This chapter reports a study involving a collaborative dialogue (Scarino, Lang Test 30(3):309–327, 2013, Pap Lang Test Assess 6:18–40, 2017) between an expert in classroom-based language assessment (Kathryn) and an expert language teacher (Ana Maria). The study explores how theory, in the form of a teacher assessment literacy (TAL) resource developed by Kathryn (Hill, Pap Lang Test Assess 6:1–17, 2017), and practice, in the form of Ana Maria’s written feedback practices, might inform one another. The context for the study was an Australian university-level L2 Spanish program, in which students submitted written assignments in the target language as part of their regular course requirements. Participants included 15 students across beginner (CEFR A1), intermediate (CEFR B1), and advanced (CEFR C1) levels of the Spanish course. Data comprised copies of written feedback, recordings and transcription of unstructured think-aloud protocols (by Ana Maria and students respectively) (Ericsson and Simon, Protocol analysis: verbal reports as data. MIT Press, Boston, 1993) and semi-structured interviews (by Kathryn with Ana Maria and students respectively), and notes from our reflective journals. Data were analysed using thematic content analysis. Using the questions framing the TAL resource, analysis started with a consideration of the type and focus of feedback and the theories, understandings, or beliefs informing the feedback practices, as well as learner responses and contextual influences. Discussion examines how the collaboration informed revisions to both the TAL resource and Ana Maria’s feedback practices and highlights the importance of incorporating learner perspectives.