The Effects Of Rubric On Learner Engagement In Peer Assessment Of EFL Writing In Senior High Schools

Learner engagement can reflect the effectiveness of teaching.In EFL writing teaching,peer assessment(PA)has been proved to be an effective way to improve teaching effectiveness.There is also some evidence that the use of rubrics can increase the effectiveness of learner engagement in PA,but further study is needed to fully validate how rubrics affect learner engagement in PA in the teaching of EFL writing in senior high schools.Based on this,the present study examined the effects of the rubric on learner engagement in PA of EFL writing from three dimensions: behavioral engagement,cognitive engagement,and emotional engagement.In this study,questionnaires and interviews were applied to collect data.The duration of the study was 16 weeks with a total of 49 participants of Senior One Students in Guangzhou.The study aimed to validate the following three research hypotheses:1)Rubrics can significantly improve learner engagement in PA of EFL writing behaviorally;2)Rubrics can significantly improve learner engagement in PA of EFL writing cognitively;3)Rubrics can significantly improve learner engagement in PA of EFL writing emotionally.The results show that the three hypotheses are all valid.Rubrics have a significantly positive effect on learner engagement in PA of EFL writing,but the effects on specific dimensions are different.Behaviorally,the use of the rubric promotes interaction between peers.It acts as a scaffold in the process of PA and encourages students to spend more time thinking and giving more revision-oriented comments when pointing out the problems of peers’ compositions.Cognitively,the use of rubric can reduce the cognitive burden of learners in the process of PA and encourages them to give more specific suggestions and comments on peers’ writings.Emotionally,the practice of rubrics significantly decreases students’ negative emotions about PA,while it increases their sense of identity in PA value,and improves their confidence in PA activities.It is worth noting that students’ interest in PA is also related to their English level.Therefore,the study suggests that during the process of PA activities,specific rubrics need to be provided to students for them to carry out effective assessments of their peers’ writings.Secondly,language teachers should pay more attention to students’ cognitive and emotional engagement while organizing PA activities.Finally,language teachers need to take more effective measures to engage learners in PA activities behaviorally.