Enhancing Students' Trust in Peer Feedback: The Critical Role of the Preparation Phase

Abstract

Feedback plays a pivotal role in language acquisition and writing skill development. Despite its effectiveness in some contexts, traditional teacher-to-student assessment faces considerable limitations, particularly in large higher education classrooms where personalized feedback is scarce. In such settings, peer feedback has emerged as a viable and promising alternative. However, student scepticism towards its effectiveness presents a significant obstacle to its broader adoption. Negative attitudes, often rooted in doubts about peers’ competence or the value of their comments, can undermine the potential benefits of peer review. This paper revisits the findings of a quasi-experimental study conducted among 60 first-year students at Ibn Zohr University in Agadir, Morocco, which examined the impact of peer reviewing on writing development. A follow-up survey was employed to assess participants’ levels of trust in the feedback provided by peers. Based on the findings of this survey and their implications within the context of the study, this paper aims to offer pedagogical recommendations for improving the adoption and success of peer feedback through initial peer review training. Effective trust-building strategies are discussed, focusing on two fundamental types: communication trust and competence trust.