The effects of self assessment and peer assessment activities on the overall writing performance of Turkish students learning English as a foreign language

The primary objective of the present study was to investigate the effects and student perceptions of self and peer assessments in EFL writing classes at the tertiary level. Using a mixed-method design with an experimental and a control group, the study involved 32 B-2 level students in an English preparatory program at a foundation university in Istanbul. The study lasted 13 weeks during the fall term of the 2022-2023 academic year. Initially, the experimental group received training sessions on using the school's rubric established by the school administration to assess essays. They then self-assessed their essays using the rubric and wrote a second draft for peer feedback. After incorporating peer feedback, students wrote a final draft for teacher evaluation and grading. This procedure was repeated four times. Meanwhile, the control group received only teacher feedback and a grade for their essays. At the beginning of the semester, both groups were given three topics and asked to choose one to write an essay. They then wrote another essay on the same topic at the end of the term. These essays were used as the pre and post-tests for the study and provided the quantitative data. The study also collected qualitative data from students through reflective responses, exploring their perceptions of self and peer assessment in essay writing. While quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS 27 through independent and paired sample t-tests, qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis. While quantitative analysis showed no statistically significant difference between the groups after the intervention, qualitative data revealed that most students, despite initial reservations, held positive views about self and peer assessment. These findings suggest that incorporating self and peer assessment, along with teacher feedback, can enhance students' writing skills in higher education.