Peer Feedback in Thai EFL Writing: Students’ Perceptions, Accuracy, and Revisions

Abstract

While previous research has underscored the implications of peer feedback in general EFL contexts, there has been limited exploration of its specific implications within the context of Thailand. This study investigated the effectiveness of peer feedback in enhancing the writing skills and compositions of Thai students. It aimed to explore students’ perceptions of its efficacy, identify the specific writing elements addressed and integrated by feedback givers and receivers, and assess the accuracy of the feedback and revisions. The participants included 35 English major students from a government university in Thailand enrolled in the English Reading and Writing course. The research instruments comprised a questionnaire, students’ descriptive compositions, and interviews. The findings revealed unanimous agreement among students regarding the positive impact of peer feedback on their writing skills and quality, despite relatively lower levels of perceived confidence in both providing and receiving peer feedback. Coherence emerged as the primary focus of feedback, followed by other writing elements, collectively achieving a remarkable accuracy rate. Notably, despite coherence being the focus, students exhibited higher levels of integration for grammar, mechanics, and vocabulary in their subsequent drafts compared to coherence and unity. Discussions were included to provide insights into Thai students’ perceptions, feedback provision and integration, and pedagogical implications for addressing challenges of peer feedback within the Thai EFL writing context, thereby improving students’ writing proficiency and compositions.