Peer feedback uptakes and outcomes across EFL students’ proficiency levels: A study at tertiary education in Indonesia

Abstract

Peer feedback is a topic frequently studied in the area of English as a second or foreign language (ESL/EFL) writing. Many studies focused on the effect of peer feedback on students’ writing ability. However, limited studies examined peer feedback uptakes and outcomes by considering sub-variables such as proficiency level. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate peer feedback uptakes and outcomes across proficiency levels. It involved 35 Indonesian EFL students who were divided into high and low proficiency students. These students attended three-session treatment in an Essay Writing class. The data were collected through essay writing tasks on the second and third sessions while in the first session, the students were trained to provide peer feedback. The results of the analysis by using Mann-Withney U test revealed that there was no significant difference in uptakes and outcomes performed by the students regardless of the different proficiency levels. The results also showed that between high and low proficiency students, there was a significant difference in the revision outcomes in which the low proficiency students produced more revision outcomes than the high proficiency students. In addition, there were significant differences in the attempted revisions and unsuccessful revisions between high and low proficiency students.