Exploring the Differential Impact of Self-Assessment, Peer-Assessment, and Instructor-Assessment on the Enhancement of EFL Writing Proficiency

Fatemeh Kheybarzadeh Tizkharab

doi:10.61227/djpx9z41

Authors

Fatemeh Kheybarzadeh Tizkharab Islamic Azad University of Urmia, Urmia, Iran

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.61227/djpx9z41

Keywords:

Assessment, Instructor-assessment, Online Assessment, Peer-assessment, Self- Assessment

Abstract

The present study employed a mixed-method design to investigate the effectiveness of alternative assessment in enhancing language performance. A total of 70 Iranian English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners participated in this research. All participants were advanced students enrolled in three intact classes at an online language center located in Urmia, Iran. The primary focus of the study was to examine the impact of self-assessment and peer-assessment in comparison with instructor-assessment on the development of writing skills among Iranian EFL learners within an online learning environment. For the quantitative phase of the study, which followed a true-experimental design, the three intact classes were randomly assigned into two experimental groups (self-assessment group, N=25; peer-assessment group, N=25) and one control group (instructor-assessment group, N=20). To address the research questions of the quantitative phase, a mixed-design Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was conducted. This analysis included one within-subject variable (writing performance), one between-subject variable (group type), and two covariates (scores from the Oxford Online Placement Test [OOPT] and the writing pre-test). The findings indicated that the self-assessment group achieved significantly higher post-test scores in both rating measures compared to the peer-assessment and instructor-assessment groups. Although all three groups demonstrated significant improvement from pre-test to post-test, the self-assessment group exhibited the greatest gains. The qualitative phase of the study, which was exploratory, descriptive, and interpretive in nature, revealed that the majority of students believed that engaging in self-assessment processes—when supported by instructor guidance—contributed positively to their writing development. Additionally, the results showed that students were more capable of identifying their writing difficulties and improving their performance when they received feedback from their peers.

References

Akimov, A., & Malin, M. (2020). When old becomes new: A case study of oral examination as an online assessment tool. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 45(8), 1205–1221. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2020.1730301

Allen, L. Q. (2004). Implementing a culture portfolio project within a constructivist paradigm. Foreign Language Annals, 37(2), 232–239.

Anasse, K., & Rhandy, R. (2021). Teachers’ attitudes towards online writing assessment during Covid-19 pandemic. International Journal of Linguistics, Literature and Translation, 4(8), 65–70.

Andrade, H., & Valtcheva, A. (2009). Promoting learning and achievement through self-assessment. Theory Into Practice, 48(1), 12–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/00405840802577544

Arias, C., & Maturana, L. (2005). Evaluation in foreign languages: Practice and discourse. Íkala, Revista de Lenguaje y Cultura, 10(16), 63–91.

Arias, C., Areiza, H., Estrada, L., Marín, J., & Restrepo, E. (2010). Foreign around the world: Cross-cultural perspectives (pp. 227–245). University of Hawaii Press.

Ary, D., Jacobs, L. C., Irvine, C. K. S., & Walker, D. (2018). Introduction to research in education (10th ed.). Cengage Learning.

Ary, D., Jacobs, L. C., Sorensen, C., & Walker, D. A. (2014). Introduction to research in education (9th ed.). Cengage Learning.

Bell, B., & Cowie, B. (2001). The characteristics of formative assessment in science education. Science Education, 85(5), 536–553. https://doi.org/10.1002/sce.1022

Bhatti, A. (2020). Impact of learner-learner rapport on L2 learning: A study of public sector universities in Sindh, Pakistan. The Asian EFL Journal, 27(4.6), 204–226.

Birjandi, P., & Hadidi Tamjid, N. (2010). The role of self-assessment in promoting Iranian EFL learners’ motivation. English Language Teaching, 3(3), 211–220.

Birjandi, P., & Hadidi Tamjid, N. (2012). The role of self-, peer and teacher assessment in promoting Iranian EFL learners’ writing performance. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 37(5), 513–533. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2010.549204

Birjandi, P., & Siyyari, M. (2011). Self-assessment and peer-assessment: A comparative study of their effect on writing performance and rating accuracy. Iranian Journal of Applied Linguistics, 13(1), 23–45.

Black, P., & Wiliam, D. (2009). Developing the theory of formative assessment. Educational Assessment, Evaluation and Accountability, 21(1), 5–31. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11092-008-9068-5

Bonilla, E., & Rodríguez, P. (1997). Beyond methods: Research in social sciences. Norma.

Brown, J. D., & Bailey, K. M. (1984). A categorical instrument for scoring second language writing skills. Language Learning, 34(4), 21–42.

Burns, A. (1999). Collaborative action research for English language teachers. Cambridge University Press.

Delmonte, R. (1997). Learning language with a “S.L.I.M.” automatic tutor. Asiatica Venetiana, 2, 31–52. http://project.cmg.unive.it/slimpage/slimasicc.pdf

Dwiyanti, K. E., & Suwastini, N. K. A. (2021). Assessment for writing skills in online learning. Lingua Scientia, 28(1), 8–19.

Ebadi, S., & Rahimi, M. (2019). Mediating EFL learners’ academic writing skills in online dynamic assessment using Google Docs. Computer Assisted Language Learning, 32(5–6), 527–555. https://doi.org/10.1080/09588221.2018.1527361

Estrada, L., & Vallejo, M. (2006). Aiming for a successful summative evaluation in the foreign language class through an effective formative evaluation. Synergies Venezuela: Revue de didactologie des langues-cultures, 2, 258–265.

Fahimi, H., Rahimi, A., & Shams, O. (2013). Promoting learning and achievement through self-assessment. Theory Into Practice, 48(1), 12–19.

Falchikov, N. (1995). Peer feedback marking: Developing peer assessment. Innovations in Education and Training International, 32(2), 175–187. https://doi.org/10.1080/1355800950320212

Fleckenstein, J., Keller, S., Krüger, M., Tannenbaum, R. J., & Köller, O. (2020). Linking TOEFL iBT® writing rubrics to CEFR levels: Cut scores and validity evidence from a standard setting study. Assessing Writing, 43, Article 100420. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asw.2019.100420

Gipps, C. (1994). Developments in educational assessment: What makes a good test? Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice, 1(3), 283–292.

Harlen, W. (2005). Teachers’ summative practices and assessment for learning: Tensions and synergies. The Curriculum Journal, 16(2), 207–223. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585170500136093

Hashemi, M. R., Khodadadi, E., & Yazdanmehr, E. (2009). Learners’ evaluation of EFL writing tasks in Iran’s ESOL’s exam preparation courses. Journal of English Language Teaching and Learning.

Herrington, A. J., & Cadman, D. (1991). Peer review and revising in an anthropology course: Lessons for learning. College Composition and Communication, 42(2), 184–199.

Inoue, A. B. (2015). Antiracist writing assessment ecologies: Teaching and assessing writing for a socially just future. Parlor Press.

Iraji, H. R., Enayat, M. J., & Momeni, M. (2016). The effects of self- and peer-assessment on Iranian EFL learners’ argumentative writing performance. Theory and Practice in Language Studies, 6(4), 716–722.

Jensen, W., & Fischer, B. (2005). Teaching technical writing through student peer-evaluation. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication, 35(1), 95–100.

Johnson, D. M. (1992). Approaches to research in second language learning. Longman.

Kulkarni, C., Wei, K. P., Le, H., Chia, D., Papadopoulos, K., Cheng, J., Koller, D., & Klemmer, S. R. (2013). Peer and self assessment in massive online classes. ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction, 20(6), Article 33. https://doi.org/10.1145/2505057

Lee, I., & Mak, P. (2018). Metacognition and metacognitive instruction in second language writing classrooms. TESOL Quarterly, 52(4), 1085–1097. https://doi.org/10.1002/tesq.436

Leedy, P. D., & Ormrod, J. E. (2001). Practical research: Planning and design (7th ed.). Merrill Prentice Hall.

Little, D. (1999). Learner autonomy is more than a Western cultural construct. In S. Cotterall & D. Crabbe (Eds.), Learner autonomy in language learning: Defining the field and effecting change (pp. 11–18). Peter Lang.

Littlewood, W. (1999). Defining and developing autonomy in East Asian contexts. Applied Linguistics, 20(1), 71–94. https://doi.org/10.1093/applin/20.1.71

Liu, H., & Brantmeier, C. (2019). “I know English”: Self-assessment of foreign language reading and writing abilities among young Chinese learners of English. System, 80, 60–72. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.system.2018.10.013

Livingston, S. A. (2018). Test reliability—Basic concepts (Research Memorandum No. RM-18-01). Educational Testing Service.

López, A., & Bernal, R. (2009). Language testing in Colombia: A call for more teacher education and training in language assessment. PROFILE Issues in Teachers’ Professional Development, 11(2), 55–70.

Mazloomi, S., & Khabiri, M. (2018). The impact of self-assessment on language learners’ writing skill. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 55(1), 91–100.

McDonald, R., & Savin-Baden, M. (2004). A briefing on assessment in PBL (LTSN Generic Centre Assessment Series No. 13).

Meeus, W., Van Petegem, P., & Engels, N. (2009). Validity and reliability of portfolio assessment in pre-service teacher education. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 34(4), 401–413. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602930802062659

Moore, C., O’Neill, P., & Huot, B. (2009). Creating a culture of assessment in writing programs and beyond. College Composition and Communication, 61(1), 86–107.

Moore, J. L., Dickson-Deane, C., & Galyen, K. (2011). e-Learning, online learning, and distance learning environments: Are they the same? The Internet and Higher Education, 14(2), 129–135. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iheduc.2010.10.001

Mosquera, L. H., & Macías, D. F. (2015). A call for language assessment literacy in the education and development of teachers of English as a foreign language. Colombian Applied Linguistics Journal, 17(2), 302–312.

Mowl, G., & Pain, R. (1995). Using self and peer assessment to improve students’ essay writing: A case study from geography. Innovations in Education and Training International, 32(4), 324–335.

Nolen, S., McReynolds, L. S., DeComo, R. E., John, R., Keating, J. M., & Wasserman, G. A. (2008). Lifetime suicide attempts in juvenile assessment center youth. Archives of Suicide Research, 12(2), 111–123.

Orsmond, P. (2004). Implementation of a formative assessment model incorporating peer and self-assessment. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 41(3), 273–290.

Page, E. B. (1966). The imminence of grading essays by computer. The Phi Delta Kappan, 47(5), 238–243.

Panadero, E., Brown, G. T. L., & Strijbos, J.-W. (2016). The future of student self-assessment: A review of known unknowns and potential directions. Educational Psychology Review, 28(4), 803–830. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10648-015-9350-2

Panadero, E., Fernández Ruiz, J., & Sánchez-Iglesias, I. (2026). Formative assessment in the age of generative AI: A systematic review of self- and peer-assessment practices in online writing instruction. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 51(2), 1–24.

Panadero, E., & Jonsson, A. (2013). The use of scoring rubrics for formative assessment purposes revisited: A review. Educational Research Review, 9, 129–144. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2013.01.002

Porte, G., & Richards, K. (2012). Focus article: Replication in second language writing research. Journal of Second Language Writing, 21(3), 284–293. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jslw.2012.05.002

Qu, W., & Zhang, C. (2013). The analysis of summative assessment and formative assessment and their roles in college English assessment system. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 4(2), 335.

Ratminingsih, N. M., Marhaeni, A. A. I. N., & Vigayanti, L. P. D. (2018). Self-assessment: The effect on students’ independence and writing competence. International Journal of Instruction, 11(3), 277–290. https://doi.org/10.12973/iji.2018.11320a

Rivers, W. P. (2001). Autonomy at all costs: An ethnography of metacognitive self-assessment and self-management among experienced language learners. The Modern Language Journal, 85(2), 279–290.

Ross, J. A. (2006). The reliability, validity, and utility of self-assessment. Practical Assessment, Research, and Evaluation, 11(1), Article 10. https://doi.org/10.7275/9wph-vv65

Samper, M. V. (2020). The use of formative assessment in foreign language teaching for motivation and L2 perception. University of Barcelona.

Spiller, D. (2012). Assessment matters: Self-assessment and peer assessment. University of Waikato.

Tartavulea, C. V., Albu, C. N., Albu, N., Dieaconescu, R. I., & Petre, S. (2020). Online teaching practices and the effectiveness of the educational process in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Amfiteatru Economic, 22(55), 920–936. https://doi.org/10.24818/EA/2020/55/920

Topping, K. (1998). Peer assessment between students in colleges and universities. Review of Educational Research, 68(3), 249–276. https://doi.org/10.3102/00346543068003249

Topping, K. J., Smith, E. F., Swanson, I., & Elliot, A. (2000). Formative peer assessment of academic writing between postgraduate students. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 25(2), 149–169. https://doi.org/10.1080/713611428

Tsagari, D., & Vogt, K. (2017). Assessment literacy of foreign language teachers around Europe: Research, challenges and future prospects. Papers in Language Testing and Assessment, 6(1), 41–63.

Urbach, D. (2014). Examining the factor structure of writing assessment based on sets of analytical marking criteria. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 141, 1106–1111.

Vogt, K., & Tsagari, D. (2014). Assessment literacy of foreign language teachers: Findings of a European study. Language Assessment Quarterly, 11(4), 374–402. https://doi.org/10.1080/15434303.2014.960046

Wininger, S. R. (2005). Using your tests to teach: Formative summative assessment. Teaching of Psychology, 32(3), 164–166.

Zou, D., Wang, M., Xie, H., Cheng, G., Wang, F. L., & Lee, L. K. (2021). A comparative study on linguistic theories for modeling EFL learners: Facilitating personalized vocabulary learning via task recommendations. Interactive Learning Environments, 29(2), 270–282.