The Relationship between Written Corrective Feedback Preference in EFL Writing Skills and Learner Autonomy of Vietnamese Students in Higher Education

This study investigated Vietnamese undergraduate students’ preference for two types of written corrective feedback (WCF) in EFL writing and examined the extent to which learner autonomy (LA) dimensions were associated with these preferences. Using a quantitative correlational survey design, data were collected from 472 undergraduate students from two universities. Students completed a scenario-based WCF preference instrument covering direct and indirect feedback and a LA questionnaire aligned with a four-dimension model, namely initiating learning opportunities, monitoring learning processes, goal setting and evaluating learning, and using technology for learning. Scale reliability was supported by high internal consistency across the final six scales, with Cronbach’s alpha values ranging from .842 to .943. CFA provided limited support for the adopted four-dimension LA structure, with strong correlations among some dimensions. Students reported significantly higher preference for direct feedback than indirect feedback. Direct WCF preference did not differ significantly by gender, while male students reported higher preference for indirect WCF than female students with a small effect size. Preference did not differ significantly by proficiency for either feedback type. Correlation and hierarchical regression analyses showed that LA dimensions were more consistently associated with indirect WCF preference than with direct WCF preference. Goal setting and evaluating learning and using technology for learning predicted direct WCF preference, while initiating learning opportunities and monitoring learning processes predicted indirect WCF preference. The findings indicate modest learner-variable associations in scenario-based WCF preference and suggest that feedback practices in Vietnamese higher education may need to consider both product-oriented and process-oriented learning needs.