Peer Feedback, Self-correction, and Writing Proficiency of Indonesian EFL Students

Abstract:

This study investigated the effectiveness of peer feedback and self-correction based on guideline sheets on the writing ability of the Indonesian EFL students. It involved 71 Indonesian EFL students taking the Essay Writing course at Universitas Negeri Malang, an Indonesian university. The students were from three intact classes and they were given different types of treatment: The students from Class A were given peer feedback based on a guideline sheet, those from Class B were assigned to do self-correction based on a guideline sheet, and those from Class C were involved in a conventional editing process of writing. The results of the study showed that the students given peer feedback based on a guideline sheet (Class A) have better ability in writing essays than those who were not given peer feedback (Class C); the students conducting self-correction based on a guideline sheet (Class B) have better ability in writing essays than those who did not conduct self-correction (Class C); and both peer feedback based on a guideline sheet (given to Class A) and self-correction based on a guideline sheet (given to Class B) significantly improved the ability in writing essays of the students in the two experiemental classes. Given that the two types of treatment were effective in increasing the students’ scores in essay writing, peer feedback and self-correction based on guidelines sheets are recommended for practical use in EFL classrooms as well as for further research studies.