4
feedback provided by their thesis advisor so that they only copy the corrections or delete the error words. In regard to this situation, it is interesting to observe the
responses of students related to the written feedback given by their teacher. The
research entitled Students’ Responses t o Teacher Written Feedback on their Compositions was intended to observe the responses of the students after they get
written feedback from their teacher.
1.2 Problem Formulation
Based on the brief explanation in the previous parts, the problems are formulated as the followings:
1. What are the categories of written feedback that is given by the teacher to the students’ compositions?
2. What are the students’ responses to the teacher written feedback?
1.3 Problem Limitation
The research on the students’ responses to the teacher written feedback is limited in scope. First, the research focuses on the written feedback that is given by
teacher on students’ compositions. Second, it only concerns with the responses that students give to the written feedback from their teacher.
1.4 Research Objectives
Related to the research questions stated above, there are two objectives in this research.
5
1. To find out the categories of written feedback that is given by the teacher to the students’ compositions.
2. To find out the responses given by students toward teacher written feedback.
1.5 Research Benefits
Hopefully, the findings of this research can help to give positive contribution in improving teaching method and strategy of writing teachers,
especially in providing effective written feedback on students’ writings so that they are encouraged to develop the ir writing skills.
For the students, it is hoped that by knowing the results of this study, they will be able to improve their writings and writing skills by implementing various
strategies in responding the teacher written feedback. Finally, the results of this study can stimulate the other researchers who are interested in the topic and give
contribution as references in the in-depth study of feedback for further researchers.
1.6 Definition of Terms
In this research, some terms are important to be defined in order to avoid misinterpretation. Those terms are as follows:
1. Student’s Response Response, according to Power in Dunkin, 1987: 413, is any verbal or
non-verbal act designed to fulfill the expectations implicit in the questions, commands or requests of others. In this study, student’s
6
response refers to any verbal or non-verbal act done by a student to fulfill the expectations implicit in the teacher written feedback.
2. Teacher Written Feedback Sherman 1995: 58 defines feedback as the comments and reactions of
the readers and teacher on the student’s composition. Moreover, according to Hyland 2002: 230, feedback is the response given to
students writing which can be provided by peers, teachers or computers on either an oral or written form. In this research, teacher written
feedback is any comments, responses or reactions provided by the teacher to the students’ compositions in written form. The teacher that is
meant here is thesis advisor who guided students in conducting a thesis study.
3. Composition Composition is defined as a short piece of written work Oxford
Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, 1995: 234. It is an outstanding way of communicating personal thoughts, perceptions, experiences, knowledge,
feelings and ideas which the writer wants to say Sherman, 1995: 12. The composition being analyzed in this study was an undergraduate
thesis written by eight semester students of English Letters Department of Sanata Dharma University.
7
CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW
