Putting rubrics to test: The effects of rubric-referenced self-assessment on middle school students' writing skills

This study investigates the effectiveness of Rubric-Referenced Self-Assessment (RRSA) in improving English as a Foreign Language (EFL) writing performance among middle school students in Türkiye. In addressing the research problem, the study employed a quasi-experimental design which compared results obtained from the control group to the experimental group. Data collection methods span over a period of six weeks to include writing tasks, self-assessment activities guided by analytical rubrics and interviews. A total of 30 seventh-grade private school students in two classes, comprising 17 girls and 13 boys, aged 12 to 13, were purposefully selected for the study. Again, three middle school teachers (raters), all female and aged between 26 and 28, were engaged in the study. SPSS v24 was employed to run both descriptive (mean & standard deviation) and inferential (Anova & paired samples t-tests) analyses. Thematic analysis was adopted for the qualitative data. The findings revealed significant improvements in writing outcomes among students who participated in RRSA compared to those in the control group. Students demonstrated positive attitudes towards RRSA, acknowledging its benefits for improving writing skills and fostering self-awareness. However, challenges such as difficulties in accurate self-assessment and the need for additional support from teachers were also identified. Pedagogical implications highlight the value of integrating RRSA into EFL writing instruction to promote student engagement, autonomy, and self-regulation. Overall, this study contributes to the advancement of pedagogical practices in EFL education by providing evidence-based insights into the efficacy of RRSA in enhancing writing performance among middle school students in Türkiye. Keywords: EFL, Writing assessment, Writing performance, Rubric-based self-assessment