Effectiveness of Teacher and Peer Feedback : Through the Lens of Korean Tertiary Writing Classroom

This classroom-based research attempted to explore whether teacher and peer feedback can be effectively implemented in an EFL writing classroom at the tertiary level.Characteristics of teacher and peer feedback, students' use of feedback along with perceived usefulness, and complementing effects of teacher and peer feedback were analyzed.Twenty students enrolled in an academic writing course participated in the study.Students engaged in drafting, revising, and editing stages of writing under the process approach.Data gathered were essay drafts, a survey on teacher and peer feedback, and interviews.The study found that teacher and peer feedback included various categories (e.g., identification, suggestion) and areas (e.g., thesis, organization) of feedback, yet teacher feedback was more balanced than peer feedback.Students found both teacher and peer reviews helpful and recognized the benefits of each, but they favored and incorporated more of the teacher feedback.The interviews, however, revealed that most students appreciated peer feedback because they could learn new perspectives and expressions.Students also felt less obliged to accept all of peers' comments, compared to teachers' feedback, leading them to critically evaluate their usefulness.Active verbal interactions and in-depth trainings were suggested to make both types of feedback more meaningful.