Engaging secondary school students with peer feedback in L2 writing classrooms: A mixed-methods study

While recent decades have witnessed the proliferation of studies on peer feedback in L2 writing, little is known about how L2 learners engage affectively, behaviorally, and cognitively with this practice. To narrow this gap, the present study employing a mixed-methods approach examined L2 learners’ engagement with peer feedback in the Chinese secondary school context. Data were collected from a variety of sources over 12 weeks, including questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, writing journals, and learners’ first and revised writing samples. The results showed that the teacher’s scaffolding with systematic instruction comprising pre-feedback sessions, multiple feedback practices, and post-feedback reinforcement helped the participants engage with peer feedback proactively in affect, behavior, and cognition. Furthermore, the participants’ perception of their improvement in the three dimensions was also evident over the semester. Overall, this study demonstrates the role of teachers in student engagement and advances our understanding of L2 learner engagement with peer feedback. Additionally, it offers important pedagogical implications for fostering and promoting L2 learners’ engagement.