Encoding Power Asymmetries in Teacher-Written Feedback: A 3-Dimensional Framework (TFPMM) for Measuring Discursive Authority

This study introduces the Teacher Feedback Power Measurement Model (TFPMM), a novel framework for systematically evaluating discursive authority in teacher-written feedback. By integrating Systemic Functional Grammar (SFG), Speech Act Theory (SAT), and Move Analysis, TFPMM offers a multi-dimensional lens to examine how modality, speech act types, and rhetorical structuring encode power in academic discourse. A mixed-methods analysis of 75 feedback samples from 15 academic writing instructors revealed a dominant use of high-modality expressions, directive speech acts, and prescriptive moves, producing an average power score of 74.48%, indicative of high discursive authority. Although praise and probing were rare, they still functioned as subtle forms of control. Among the three dimensions, modality contributed most to overall power, followed by rhetorical moves and speech acts. TFPMM emerges as a replicable tool for analyzing feedback and auditing its power dynamics. The study offers pedagogical insights to support more reflective, dialogic, and student-centered feedback practices across diverse educational contexts.