The present study investigated the effect of Peer Assessment (PA) on performance, engagement, and motivation among middle school EFL writing students. This mixed-methods design study examined the rate of improvement in writing, measured changes in students’ levels of motivation and engagement, and explored teachers’ perceptions of the PA. The quantitative pre- and post-test data were collected from the control group (n=25) and experimental group (n=67). Moreover, the students of the experimental group filled out a questionnaire evaluating their PA activities as well. Additionally, qualitative data were obtained by interviewing teachers (n=5), who provided their views on the pros and cons of implementing PA in EFL instruction. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and a Paired t-test. The analysis of the qualitative data produced a thematic analysis, and coding was used to highlight repetition. Results demonstrated that the writing scores were significantly higher (M=8.76, p<.01). However, the means of Behavioral Engagement (M=11.11/15) and Emotional Engagement (M=10.83/15) indicated that students are willing to engage in the reviewing of peer assignments. Motivation (M=10.57) showed a possible difficulty of engagement or resistance toward applying PA in the classroom. During and after PA activities, teachers indicated high levels of motivation, confidence, and some improvement in writing skills.
Triviño et al. (2025) studied this question.