Abstract
This study aims at investigating practices and beliefs of teachers regarding the use of peer assessment in EFL writing in Jimma Seto Semro and Jiren preparatory and high schools in South Western Ethiopia. In this study, a descriptive survey based on both qualitative and quantitative data were used. To achieve the objective, all (13) EFL instructors in Seto Semro and Jiren high schools and participated in the study. Questionnaire consisting of closed and open-ended questions were utilized as a main data collection tool which was substantiated by an interview. The findings of the study showed that the majority of teachers are practising peer assessment in EFL writing. The findings of this study revealed that peer feedback was found to be beneficial, for it increased teachers’ positive beliefs and motivation in English writing class. Participants also liked peer review and the majority liked to carry out this peer assessment. Peer evaluation was helpful for improving students’ writing in lay out, content, organization, language use, spelling, capitalization, mechanics, grammar and vocabulary. Based on the findings, it was recommended that teachers of writing should use peer assessment to help students improve their writing in the areas of spelling, mechanics and grammar. It is further recommended, that there is a need to train EFL teachers to make them aware of the idea that peer assessment develops students’ writing skills. Key words: Second language (L2) writing, peer feedback, teachers’ practices, teachers’ beliefs, benefits of peer assessment.
Highlights
Even if previous studies have substantiated the contributions of peer assessment to L2 writing revisions and development, and these findings indicate that students‟ attitudes towards peer feedback play a central role in its implementation and effectiveness (Yang et al, 2006; Zhao, 2010; Zhu and Mitchell, 2012), whether to use peer feedback as a learning activity and
While the researcher was observing different EFL writing classes, some teachers told their students as to why they included peer assessment in teaching of EFL in writing classes. They told their students that, we do not always use teacher assessment in our English writing classroom because we know that peer assessment is important since it reduces anxiety, develop confidence, and increase motivation as well as critical thinking
Teachers‟ respondents in this study found both peer feedback and teachers‟ feedback were practised and found to be interesting and useful in English writing classroom
Summary
Teachers‟ beliefs have been showed to have an important influence on teachers‟ practices (Borg, 2003; Tsui, 2003), both of which “have a direct effect on the teaching and learning process” (Griffiths, 2007, as cited in Lee, 2008: 13). From this point of view, teachers‟ beliefs and practices with regard to peer feedback are central to its implementation and efficacy in L2 writing classes and will determine whether students have the opportunity to engage in and benefit from peer reviewing activities. EFL teachers‟ beliefs and practices with regard to peer feedback are worth exploring to fill this research gap and enable teachers to have a voice about peer feedback in L2 writing instruction
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