The effect of peer evaluation practices on the writing skills and writing attitude of university students

In this study, the effects of peer assessment practices on the writing skills and writing attitudes of education faculty students were investigated and the opinions of prospective teachers about peer assessment were taken. In the mixed method study, "Writing Skills Rubric" and "Free Writing Attitude Scale for Faculty of Education Students" were used to collect quantitative data. A semi-structured interview form was used to collect qualitative data. The study group of the research consists of 140 students (70 experimental group, 70 control group) studying at Gaziantep University Nizip Faculty of Education. For the qualitative part of the research, interviews were conducted with 10 students from each group. In the study, the experimental group was given writing training using peer assessment practices for 10 weeks, while the control group was given writing training using traditional methods. The quantitative data obtained in the study were analyzed statistically in the SPSS program. In the analysis, dependent or independent groups t-tests were applied depending on the characteristics of the compared groups. For the qualitative part of the study, the students' answers to the interview form were analyzed using the discourse analysis method. According to the results of the research, it was seen that peer assessment practices positively affected both students' writing skills and writing attitudes. Suggestions are included regarding the greater use of peer assessment practices for students at different levels, both in developing writing skills and other language skills.