The Effects of Peer Feedback on the Efl Students’ Writing Performance and Writing Anxiety at Adama University
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Date
2008-02
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The main objective of this study was to investigate whether peer feedback had any effect on the
writing performance and writing anxiety of EFL students of Adama University. The writing
features peer feedback could address and the perceptions of the students about peer feedback
were also investigated.
The subjects of the study were divided into the control and the experimental group. At the
beginning of the study, the students were made to write texts without any feedback. They also
rated their writing anxiety using Second Language Writing Anxiety Inventory (SLWAI). Then, the
experimental group was given training in giving and receiving peer feedback for five weeks, and
then, wrote three paragraphs within two weeks. The control group, on the other hand, wrote the
same texts within the same period of time without peer feedback. Second Language Writing
Anxiety Inventory was used to investigate the difference in the level of writing anxiety between
the two groups before and after the peer feedback training. To investigate students’ perceptions
towards peer feedback, questionnaire and interview were used with the experimental group.
The analysis of the students’ written texts showed no significant difference in the overall writing
performance between the experimental and control group students. However, there was a
significant difference between these groups in the low order features of writing (mechanics,
spelling and grammar). The SLWAI analysis showed that the experimental group students
experienced significantly less writing anxiety than the control group. The results of the
questionnaire and interview revealed that the students had positive attitude towards the practice
of peer feedback.
Based on the findings, it was suggested that peer feedback should be used primarily to encourage
students to rewrite their texts in learning writing. Writing teachers should also use peer feedback
in helping students to improve their writing in the areas of spelling, mechanics and grammar.
Teachers are also advised to use this feedback to deal with students’ writing anxiety in writing.
Finally, as this study is limited to one university and short period of time, it appears to be
difficult to draw generalizations about the findings of the study. Hence, further research is highly
recommended to further investigate the area.
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Writing Performance