RESEARCH ON THE EFFECT OF teacher and PEER FEEDBACK ON STUDENTS’ PARAGRAPH WRITING PERFORMANCE AND ATTITUDES AT ARBAMINCH COLLEGE OF TEACHERS’ EDUCATION: DAWROGNA MAJORING STUDENTS ON FOCUS. BY

Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the outcomes of teacher and peer feedback on EFL students’ writing performances. Moreover, the study was intended to assess attitudes of EFL students towards the provision of teacher and peer feedback in paragraph writing. Data collection was carried out through two instruments: paragraph writing tests and questionnaire. The reliability and validity of the instruments were verified by using Cronbach’s Alpha. The study sample consisted of 30 EFL minoring prospective primary teachers at Arba Minch College of Teachers’ Education. The subjects of the study were equally divided into two groups: control (n=15) and experimental (n= 15). Both groups were similar in terms of academic level, mother tongue background and their target language learning experiences. The experimental group participants were introduced with peer feedback in paragraph writing sessions while the control group participants were taught by the teacher provided with teacher feedback. In order to find out the effect of peer on EFL students’ writing performance experimental research design was employed. To analyze the data quantitative method was used. The data gathered through writing paragraph and the questionnaire was analyzed quantitatively. Both the data gathered through writing paragraph and questionnaires (writing attitude inventory, see appendix) were analyzed using independent sample t-test. The results of data collection showed the provision of teacher and peer feedback did not play any significant role in improving the students’ paragraph writing at 0.05 (df=28) critical t-value 2.048 level of significance. The analysis of each feature of writing showed that there was no significant difference between two groups; however students were able to correct low level concern (non-impeding errors). From this we assert that students were required to be trained to be aware of high order concern (meaning impeding errors). From the analysis of questionnaire finding reveals that the experimental group showed high variation compared with that of control group in their attitudes toward peer feedback. Finally recommendations and discussion were made based on the results and finding of the study