Synchronous and asynchronous corrective feedback for grammar accuracy: ESL novice teachers’ beliefs and practices

While corrective feedback (CF) is widely recognised as pivotal to language learning, its implementation in online classrooms remains under-explored. This study investigates Malaysian novice ESL teachers’ beliefs and self-reported practices concerning synchronous and asynchronous CF. Thirty teachers had completed a 28-item, closed-ended questionnaire. Results show a clear preference for asynchronous CF as it gives students more time to reflect and revise. Overall, ACF was more strongly endorsed than SCF (highest ACF mean = 4.53 vs highest SCF mean = 4.27). Yet, participants most frequently provided synchronous oral feedback during live lessons (70% reported using oral corrections during activities often), which exposed a belief– practice mismatch. These findings highlight the need for targeted digital-feedback training that helps early-career teachers align their pedagogical convictions with their online classroom behaviours.