EFL writing feedback in the digital era: Investigating Algerian university students’ and teachers’ perspectives

Abstract

In English as a Foreign Language (EFL) writing, feedback practices are evolving beyond traditional methods towards digital feedback. This study examines Algerian university students’ experiences, perceptions, and preferences, alongside teachers’ beliefs and practices regarding EFL writing feedback in the digital era. Data were collected through online questionnaires from 156 students and 16 teachers. Despite increasing digitalization, findings show that face-to-face feedback remains the most prevalent and preferred approach in the study’s context. Discrepancies also emerged between student and teacher perceptions of feedback frequency, depth, type, tone, and effectiveness. The findings thus imply the need to better align feedback practices, strengthen feedback literacy, and complement traditional methods with e-feedback and AI-assisted feedback, while fostering motivation and autonomy for sustained writing development.