EXPLORING PEER FEEDBACK AS AN ALTERNATIVE ASSESSMENT STRATEGY FOR ENHANCING WRITING PROFICIENCY AMONG SECONDARY SCHOOL LEARNERS

Abstract

This paper explores the effectiveness of peer feedback as an alternative assessment tool for enhancing secondary school students’ creative writing and motivation. Traditional assessment approaches often fail to capture the developmental aspects and nuanced nature of creative writing. However, peer feedback, grounded in well-established theoretical frameworks such as Operant Conditioning Theory and Self-Determination Theory, offers a more dynamic and student-centered approach. A quasi-experimental mixed-method approach was adopted, involving pre-test, post-test administered to a sample of 40 students, and structured questionnaire administered to 140 students from the Beaconhouse School System, Islamabad. Thematic analysis of creative writing samples revealed significant improvement in key linguistic dimensions such as vocabulary, grammatical structure, figurative language, coherence, cohesion, and revision effects. Post-test results highlighted an increased use of complex sentence structures, further enhanced lexical variety and cohesive narrative organization. Notably, 70% of the students integrated peer feedback into their post-test draft, demonstrating both cognitive and effective engagement. Furthermore, T-test analysis validated the results, showing statistically a significant improvement in creative writing score after peer comments. Peer feedback was found to reinforce desired writing behaviors (Operant Conditioning Theory) while simultaneously fulfilling students’ needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness (Self-Determination Theory). These psychological and behavioral mechanisms contributed to enhance students’ motivation, deeper revision effect and improved metacognitive awareness. The study reveals the values of peer feedback not only in linguistic skills growth but also in shaping a collaborative and empowering classroom culture. By integrating mixed method approach findings, the study offers evidence that structured peer suggestion activities can substantially increase students’ creative and descriptive writing skills. The findings suggest implications for curriculum designers, language instructors, and policy developer aiming to adopt more effective, formative assessment strategies. This research contributes to the evolving discourse on alternative assessments by centering students’ perspectives and empirical learning outcomes in a Pakistanis secondary school educational context.