Improving the Effectiveness of the Peer Feedback Technique: The Impact of Focusing EFL Student-writers on Macro Level Features

Abstract

The study on which this article is based suggests a new form of the peer feedback technique that focuses learners on providing their fellow students with macro peer feedback alone, leaving the provision of micro feedback to the teacher. It investigated the impact of the new form on learners’ overall writing quality, and on macro and micro level writing features. The participants were 41 Saudi EFL undergraduate students undertaking an English programme. The design of the study consisted of two phases: during phase 1 the conventional form was introduced, and during phase 2 the new form was introduced to the participants. The participants developed and practised giving and receiving peer feedback on 10 argumentative essays in total, two drafts each. Pre-, mid- and post-tests and mid- and post-interviews were administered. The findings of the study suggest that each form of the technique had a significant impact on the participants at a statistical level, with the new form having even greater impact. It was also found that the new form had a more positive impact at the macro level than the conventional form.