Date of Award
Fall 2025
Document Type
Open Access Dissertation
Department
Educational Studies
First Advisor
Elizabeth Currin
Abstract
The purpose of this action research study was to improve students’ engagement with the writing process by focusing more intently on peer feedback. The study occurred in my sixth-grade classroom in an affluent suburb of a large U.S. city. As an insider to the setting, I used mixed methods to address a problem of practice, having noticed that students were not engaging in revision between their first and final drafts. Through the lens of social constructivism, I examined data collected through surveys, semi-structured interviews, and writing samples. Being both reviewers and recipients of feedback had positive yet distinct impacts on students and their writing, indicating the power of peer feedback and student discourse. The findings of my study align with existing research on writing instruction and peer feedback. Further, I explore how to extrapolate the power of discourse for teacher education.
Rights
© 2025, Heather Palmer
Recommended Citation
Palmer, H.(2025). Writers Helping Writers: the Power of Peer Feedback in Student Writing. (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/8615