Understanding the Difference Between Self-Feedback and Peer Feedback: A Comparative Study of Their Effects on Undergraduate Students' Writing Improvement.

Qi Lu,Xinhua Zhu,Choo Mui Cheong

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.739962

Qi Lu, Xinhua Zhu + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.739962

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Abstract

Due to the growing popularity of Assessment for Learning in higher education, self- feedback and peer feedback are often highlighted for their role in improving writing performance. In order to provide appropriate support for students' effective implementation of the feedback, teachers must comprehend the differential characteristics of self- and peer feedback. However, empirical research comparing the two remains scarce, particularly when they are used in combination. In this study, 116 Hong Kong undergraduate students participated in an abstract writing task and engaged in self- and peer feedback processes. The amount, types, and implementation of self- and peer feedback and their effects on writing improvement were analyzed and compared. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that about 25% of the variance in the students' writing improvement was collectively accounted for by the two feedback processes. One form of feedback contributed about 15% of the variance while the other form explained 10%. Feedback types and the amount of implemented feedback were found to be positive predictors of writing improvement, whereas the overall feedback amount negatively affected the improvement. Moreover, the implementation of peer feedback was found to have a greater effect on the improvement than those of self-feedback. Several pedagogical implications of these findings are addressed.

Highlights

As alternative means of assessment gain increasing popularity in higher education, self- and peer feedback are often highlighted for their roles in improving authentic assessment performance (Boud and Soler, 2016; Adachi et al, 2018) and supporting learning (Sadler, 1989; Topping, 2003)
The results showed that there was no independent variable with the value of variance inflation factor (VIF)
(22.31) [t(115) = 14.98, p < 0.001], indicating that almost all of the students improved in their writing after the self- and peer feedback processes

Summary

Introduction

As alternative means of assessment gain increasing popularity in higher education, self- and peer feedback ( known as formative self- and peer assessment) are often highlighted for their roles in improving authentic assessment performance (Boud and Soler, 2016; Adachi et al, 2018) and supporting learning (Sadler, 1989; Topping, 2003). Carless characterized feedback as the “dialogic processes whereby learners make sense of information from various sources and use it to enhance their work or learning strategies” (Carless, 2016, p.1). This definition emphasizes the connection between feedback process (i.e., generating feedback) and its outcome (i.e., achieving educational gains), which capitalizes on the benefits of feedback as a means to improve learning. Some empirical studies have compared the impacts of self- and peer feedback (Diab, 2011), what the differences between the feedback processes are and how diverse the features that facilitate writing outcomes are remain unclear. We empirically explore how self- and peer feedback differ, both during the feedback process and in their effects on writing outcomes

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