Understanding Changes in Learner Engagement with Peer Feedback Giving in EFL Writing: A Longitudinal Study

While the past decade has witnessed a growing body of research on learner engagement with receiving peer feedback in second language writing, little attention has been paid to how learners engage with feedback as feedback givers. This longitudinal case study investigates three EFL learners’ engagement changes with peer feedback giving from affective, behavioral and cognitive perspectives over an academic year. Data were collected from multiple sources, including learners’ texts, feedback messages, open-ended questionnaire, stimulated recalls, and semi-structured interviews. The findings show that the three dimensions of learner engagement with peer feedback giving interacted with each other dynamically during the academic year. While learners’ positive affective engagement promoted their cognitive and behavioral engagement, their negative feelings did not necessarily restrain the enhancement of the other two aspects. In turn, learners’ cognitive and behavioral engagement could either promote or hinder their affective engagement. By using the affective-behavioral-cognitive framework to trace longitudinal engagement with peer feedback giving and highlighting the interaction among the three dimensions, this study advances our knowledge of the multifaceted and dynamic nature of learner engagement. It provides pedagogical implications for writing educators to develop teaching strategies to promote learner engagement and maximize learning opportunities in the feedback giving process.