Peer assessment in group-oriented classroom contexts: on the effectiveness of peer assessment coupled with scaffolding and group work on speaking skills and vocabulary learning

Abstract

AbstractPeer learning, also known as collaborative learning, is based on social constructivism and contends that learning takes place more actively when students interact socially with their peers. This study sought to examine the effects of scaffolded peer assessment in group-oriented classrooms on developing speaking skills and enlarging the vocabulary size of language learners. To accomplish this objective, through cluster sampling, the researchers selected 37 lower-intermediate and 5 intermediate learners of English. Then, 20 lower-intermediate subjects were randomly assigned as the experimental group along with the 5 more proficient learners. In groups of 5, the intermediate learner was assigned the role of the mediator and was responsible for giving feedback to their peers. The rest of the subjects were assigned as the control group and there was no mediator in their group. Four instructional sessions were allocated to scaffolded peer assessment of speaking and four sessions were devoted to scaffolded peer assessment of vocabulary learning. In this randomized pre-test–post-test-delayed post-test trial, an independent sample t test, and a one-way repeated measures ANOVA were carried out. The results of the statistical analyses demonstrated the impact of scaffolded peer assessment on developing both speaking skills and enlarging learners’ vocabulary size with a large effect size. That is, by implementing scaffolded peer assessment in a group-oriented context both speaking skills and vocabulary knowledge can be developed. The pedagogical implication of this study is that language teacher can implement the notions of social constructivism and socio-cultural theory proposed by Vygotsky (Readings on the Development of Children 23:34-41, 1978) to expand and develop learners’ zone of proximal development.