Exploring the Relationship between Classroom Social Climate, Emotion Regulation Strategies and Written Corrective Feedback Engagement among Iranian EFL Learners

The relationship between Written Corrective Feedback (WCF) engagement, classroom social climate, and students’ emotion regulation strategies across various proficiency levels is an under-explored area of research. In response to this gap, the present mixed-methods study examined the status of WCF engagement among a convenience sample of 54 Iranian undergraduate EFL learners with different levels of writing experiences. The required data were collected using WCF engagement, classroom social climate and emotion regulation strategy use questionnaires and focus group interviews. The correlation analyses indicated that there was a positive moderate relationship between WCF engagement and classroom social climate and a low relationship between WCF engagement and emotion regulation strategy use. Multiple regression analysis also showed that teachers’ emotional support and learners’ cognitive reappraisal strategies could best predict their WCF engagement level. Furthermore, despite the fact that learners with lower writing experiences had a higher mean score in WCF engagement compared to the mid and high writing experience groups, the ANVOA results did not show statistically significant differences among these groups of learners, which highlights the complexity of learners’ engagement with WCF and the effects of various individual and contextual factors than mere writing experience. Finally, the qualitative analyses of students’ focus group interview data revealed factors influencing their response to WCF (e.g., clarity and specificity of feedback and students’ confidence and self-efficacy), and the strategies (e.g., seeking clarification and collaboration with peers) they used to respond to the feedback offered and improve their writing performance. The results imply that writing instructors should prioritize fostering a supportive classroom environment and encourage the use of emotion regulation strategies to enhance learners' engagement with WCF.