Utilizing Peer Feedback by Synthesizing a Peer-Assisted Learning Center with an English Course to Develop English Grammar and Academic Writing Skills

Abstract

With educational budgets being hindered by a lack of resources, even more so for universities around the globe, these institutions are looking for ways to implement original student activities and programs to cultivate abilities in students that will better prepare them for their post-graduate lives. This study examined the effectivenessf implementing a peer-assisted learning (PAL) center into the curriculum of an intermediate English reading and writing course. The results extracted from this study should be able to assist those in the world of academia in accurately synthesizing a PAL center into the curriculum of their own course designs. This mixed-method study was administered at a Thai university, as demonstrated by the results extracted from the experimental group vis-à-vis the control groups, the findings of the present study determined that integrating a PAL center into a course curriculum does not significantly develop English grammar skills, but can, however, significantly improve student writing skills. PAL centers could be used to cultivate student skills in terms of English academic writing.