Abstract
This study explored the effect of peer assessment strategy on students’ achievement and interest in essay writing. Six research questions were posed, and six hypotheses formulated and tested at 0.05 level of significance. The review of literature was orgainsed under conceptual framework, theoretical framework, review of empirical studies and summary of literature review. A quasi experimental, non-randomized control group factorial design was used for the study. The study was carried out in Emohua Education Zone of River State. A sample size of 149 SS II students drawn from four public secondary schools in the study area was used for the study. Two groups (peer assessment and teacher assessment) were assigned to treatment and control groups and were taught separately in their schools by the regular English Language teachers who had earlier been trained for the purpose. Two instruments were used for data collection namely: Essay Writing Achievement Test (EWAT) and Essay writing Interest Inventory (EWII). Mean and standard deviation were used to answer the research questions. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The findings of the study showed that students taught essay writing using peer assessment strategy had higher mean achievement score than that of their counterparts taught using the conventional teacher assessment strategy. Students taught essay writing using peer assessment strategy had higher mean interest score than that of their counterparts taught using the conventional teacher assessment strategy. Female students had higher achievement score than that of their male counterparts. Female students had higher mean interest score than that of their male counterparts. There was significant interaction effect of instructional strategies and gender on students mean achievement score in essay writing. There was no significant interaction effect of gender on mean interest score of students in essay writing. In line with the findings of the study, the educational implications of the findings were highlighted and the recommendations were equally proffered among others that seminars, workshops and conferences should be organized by the Ministry of Education and professional bodies to acquaint and re – orient English Language teachers with skills for design and use of peer assessment instructional strategy in teaching essay writing. Finally, the limitations of the study and suggestions for further studies were equally made.
