Researching L2 Student Engagement with Written Feedback: Insights from Sociocultural Theory

Abstract While student engagement is central to connecting feedback provision with learning outcomes and has significant value for unlocking the learning potential of feedback, the extant research on student engagement with written feedback is not only scant but also under‐theorized. This article explores the potential of sociocultural theory (SCT) for theorizing the notion of L2 student engagement with written feedback and furthering research on the topic. Using a number of concepts in SCT, we attempt to theorize this construct and propose an integrative sociocultural framework that draws particular attention to the nature of engagement (i.e., core characteristics of engagement) and its underlying mechanisms (i.e., mediating factors in engagement). We then outline two research areas that are key to broadening current scholarship and examine methodological issues in research on L2 student engagement with written feedback. The article contributes to broadening the knowledge base of this burgeoning research area and stimulating further work on it.