Peer feedback that consistently supports learning to write and read: providing comments on meaning-level issues

Meta-analyses suggest that peer feedback is particularly useful for learning, but additional research is needed to understand the large variation in effect sizes that is regularly seen. We examined the relationship between amount of provided and received feedback with growth in writing and reading performance in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners across multiple assignments. Only provided comments, and in particular comments on meaning-level issues, were consistently associated with growth in writing performance. These types of comments were also associated with growth in reading performance, but less consistently so. Comments provided at the surface level were either uncorrelated or negatively correlated with growth in writing performance; follow up analyses suggest that the nature of the comments provided in response to training can explain the changes in effectiveness over assignments. Amount of comments received was never associated with growth in writing or reviewing skills. These findings highlight the value of peer feedback assignment focused on meaning-level issues, even for EFL learners. Further, these findings add to the growing literature that suggest that extensive opportunities to provide meaning-level feedback, especially when it is detailed, is critical for student learning.