Effectiveness of Teacher and Peer Feedback in EFL Writing: A Case of High School Students

The aim of this study is to assess and compare the effectiveness of three types of EFL writing feedback: teacher direct, teacher indirect, and peer feedback, while also exploring student perceptions of the feedback they receive. For this purpose, a mixed-method approach was used, combining a quasi-experimental and a survey design. Eighty-two EFL learners (aged 17-18 years old) were divided into four groups (three intervention groups who received feedback and one control group who did not) and practised EFL writing skills for a two-month period. After the intervention, the students from the intervention groups (62) answered a questionnaire related to their perceptions about the feedback received. The results of pre- and post-tests showed an improvement in EFL writing skills in all the groups. Likewise, there was a statistically significant difference in the results of the post-test between the groups who received feedback and those who did not, which means that feedback was effective. However, when comparing the three types of feedback, there were no statistically significant differences among the intervention groups. As for the perceptions of the feedback received during their EFL writing practice, students believed that feedback was a positive aspect of writing instruction. They thought that feedback was important for their learning, and they would like to receive a combination of teacher and peer feedback. This study contributes to the ongoing discussion around the effectiveness of different types of feedback on EFL writing skills.