Peer Feedback in University Level ESL Writing Classes

It aims to investigate the effects of introducing peer feedback to students from a predominantly teacher-centered context. I performed a three-phased project using various data collection methods. The study investigated students' initial and following perceptions of peer feedback using semi-structured questionnaires and individual interviews. The results of the first stage suggested that students were in favor of teacher-written feedback and apprehensive towards peer feedback. The second phase included members of an ESL class divided into two groups; the experimental group, which used teacherand peer feedback; and the control group, which received only teacher feedback. Students' perception of peer feedback was positive and they accepted it as part of their ESL writing curriculum. The results suggest that peer feedback helped students gain new skills and improve existing ones. The last phase was a comparative study consisting of pre- and post-tests to measure the progress of students' writing. Students in both groups did considerably better in the exit test. However, members of the peer feedback group outperformed the other group in every aspect investigated.