From a teacher-centered to a student-centered approach: A study of peer feedback in Hong Kong writing classes

There is a common belief that, owing to the highly teacher-centered form of education, Chinese students are passive learners. As a result, a student-centered approach such as process writing is believed to be difficult to implement in classes that consist mainly of Chinese students. This study tested these beliefs by introducing peer feedback, the backbone of process writing, to Chinese students enrolled in university writing classes and by measuring the effectiveness of the feedback both quantitatively and qualitatively. The study showed that, with proper training, Chinese students could quickly adapt to a student-centered approach, and also provide rich and useful feedback on the writing of their peers. This study has promising implications for educational contexts where students are considered passive learners, teacher-centered learning is the norm, or the process approach to writing faces daunting challenges to its implementation.