Unpacking feedback literacy in EFL reading: structural relationships and effective strategies among Chinese college students and English instructors

This mixed-methods study examined feedback literacy in English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) reading among Chinese non-English-major undergraduates. Drawing on Carless and Boud’s four-dimensional framework, the study investigated the structural relationships among appreciating feedback (AF), making judgments (MJ), managing affect (MA), and taking action (TA), and explored how students and teachers described actionable feedback practices in reading contexts. Survey data were collected from 1,596 students using a 20-item questionnaire adapted to EFL reading, together with two open-ended questions. Semi-structured interviews were also conducted with 20 college English instructors. Quantitative data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), multigroup analysis, and necessary condition analysis (NCA), while qualitative data were thematically coded. The results showed that AF, MJ, and MA were positively associated with TA, with MA emerging as the most proximal predictor of action-taking. AF also influenced TA indirectly through MJ and MA. Multigroup analysis indicated small but significant differences across gender, year of study, and CET-4 status. NCA further suggested that AF, MJ, and MA functioned as necessary conditions at different points in the feedback process. Qualitative findings showed that students acted on feedback by reviewing comments, setting goals, seeking clarification, using supplementary resources, and reflecting on progress, while instructors promoted action-taking through clear feedback, follow-up tasks, resource provision, and structured reflection. The study extends feedback-literacy research to the underexplored domain of EFL reading and offers context-sensitive implications for supporting feedback uptake in Chinese university classrooms.