Globally, many students struggle to develop academic writing skills. This challenge is heightened in distance education, where students are expected to be self-directed. Feedback has the potential to support students’ development when they actively engage with it. However, feedback is often underutilised and not explicitly embedded in models of self-directed learning (SDL). This study explored how distance students engaged with feedback during academic writing, using a revised SDL framework that integrates feedback as a cyclical and intentional component. Drawing on social constructivism and participatory action research, the study involved 10 South African student teachers and employed content and document analysis, open-ended questionnaires, and a semi-structured interview. Findings show that personalised, dialogic feedback enhanced students’ ability to identify learning needs, reflect critically, and take ownership of their learning process. The revised SDL feedback model contributed to deeper learner engagement, greater autonomy, and more reflective academic practice.