EXPLORING THE PERCEIVED BENEFITS OF LECTURER-WRITTEN FORMATIVE FEEDBACK IN DEVELOPING STUDENTS' WRITING SKILLS

Writing is a core skill in EFL education, yet many students struggle without effective guidance. Although lecturer-written formative feedback is widely used, students’ perceptions of its benefits are underexplored in Indonesian university contexts. This study aimed to explore students’ perceptions of lecturer-written formative feedback benefits and identify the most helpful aspects. This qualitative case study involved five English Education students in a Basic Writing Skills course. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and document analysis, then analyzed using Miles and Huberman’s interactive model. Students perceived lecturer-written formative feedback as multidimensional. It helped identify hidden errors, provided multi-level guidance, increased motivation and confidence, promoted planned writing, and supported writer independence. They valued specific, direct feedback focused on higher-order concerns with supportive tone and examples. Effective lecturer-written feedback combines cognitive clarity and affective support. Lecturers should design specific, meaningful, and encouraging feedback to enhance students’ writing development in EFL contexts.