The Impact of Using Peer Editing as an Effective Feedback Tool on Developing Libyan EFL Students' Writing Performance.

Abstract

This study was designed to investigate the impact of using peer-editing as an editing tool in terms of receiving effective feedback on developing Libyan EFL students' writing performance. The research sample included 60 second-year students randomly selected from Sabratha College of Arts. The participants were divided equally into two groups, i.e. 30 students for the control group and 30 students for the experimental group. Throughout the first two weeks of the program, the experimental group received a training course, based on the use of peer-editing tool to develop their writing skill, while the control group was trained on how to self-edit at the editing step in learning writing skill as a process. A pre-test and post-test were designed and carried out before and after the treatment course that was conducted to study the impact of peer-editing tool on the students’ writing performance. 31 item questionnaire was designed to determine the impact of peer-editing tool on experimental students’ attitude. Inferential SPSS software program was employed to analyse the data obtained from both the pre- and post-tests for the two groups, and the data obtained from the questionnaire for the experimental group. The quantitative findings showed that there were statistically significant differences in the mean scores between the experimental group and the control group in the post-written test in each of the writing aspects (content, organization, and language) in favour of a clear development for the experimental group. Furthermore, the questionnaire’ results maintained that 2nd EFL students at Sabratha College of Arts had positive attitude toward peer-editing as an effective and beneficial tool. The findings of the present study gave evidence that the use of peer-editing tool effectively developed and enhanced EFL students’ attitude towards the writing skills.