The presentation titled “The Role of Qualitative Research Methods in Evaluating and Providing Feedback in the Writing Classroom” was conducted by the Evidence-based Research Centre for Educational Assessment on the afternoon of October 26. The lecture was presented by Dr. Shulin Yu, an Associate Editor of the SSCI Journal “Assessing Writing” and a member of the Faculty of Education at the University of Macau. Professor Jinyan Huang moderated the lecture. Individuals from the Research Centre attended the talk, faculty members from the School of Teacher Education, and first and second-year graduate students.

During the lecture, Dr. Yu commenced by providing a concise overview of qualitative research methodologies and engaged in a dialogue with the students present to assess their existing comprehension of qualitative research methods. Subsequently, the researcher directed their attention towards examining the attributes of five distinct qualitative research methodologies. This analysis was complemented by an examination of the scholarly articles authored by the research team, which specifically addressed the topics of writing classroom evaluation and feedback literacy. The researcher elaborated extensively on the meticulous application of qualitative methods to effectively address the research challenges of evaluating and providing feedback in second-language writing classrooms.

Following the lecture, educators and students posed inquiries regarding utilizing qualitative research methodologies and selecting qualitative research subjects. Dr. Yu comprehensively responded to these inquiries and emphasized the necessary precautions when employing qualitative research methods.