Efl Undergraduate Students’ Experiences in Giving and Receiving Peer Feedback

Abstract

This study aims to explore the experiences of EFL undergraduate students in giving and receiving peer feedback in an Argumentative Writing course. Although many existing studies have investigated peer feedback in writing, few have focused on students’ experiences, especially in Indonesian university contexts. This study fills that gap by examining how students experience their roles as both peer feedback givers and receivers. A qualitative research design was employed, using semi- structured interviews with two purposively selected English Education students in Yogyakarta. These participants were recommended by their lecturers based on their active involvement in the peer feedback activity. The findings show that each student benefited differently from peer feedback. Student A primarily gained from receiving clear and precise feedback, whereas Student B benefited from both giving and receiving feedback, particularly in developing reviewing skills. According to both students, peer feedback promoted emotional engagement, including a sense of enjoyment and increased motivation. They also demonstrated how to imitate effective writing techniques observed in their peers’ work. Emergent themes also showed differences in preference for feedback sources and challenges in interpreting peer feedback. These findings suggest that peer feedback can offer cognitive, affective, and developmental benefits when implemented effectively. Teachers are encouraged to structure peer feedback activities carefully and consider students’ preferences and levels of participation to maximize the learning potential of such practices.