Collaboration and Reflection: Improving EFL Students' Writing Skills through Peer and Self Editing

Abstract

Writing skills in English as a foreign language remain a major challenge for many students because they require mastery of grammar, vocabulary, text organization, and critical reflection. This study aims to determine how collaboration and reflection through peer editing and self-editing activities can improve students' writing skills. This study used a quasi-experimental design with a single-group pretest-posttest method involving nineteen participants. Writing skills were assessed using a rubric covering aspects of content, organization, grammar, vocabulary, and writing mechanics. The results showed that the average pretest score was 74.11 with a standard deviation of 7.355, while the average posttest increased to 76.42 with a standard deviation of 9.076. The Wilcoxon Signed Ranks test proved a significant difference with Z = -3.005 and p = 0.003, where thirteen students experienced improvement, four experienced no change, and two experienced a decrease. This study concluded that the integrated implementation of peer and self-editing strategies can significantly improve students' writing performance and foster motivation and self-confidence. The implications of this study emphasize the importance of teachers' roles in providing clear guidance, building a supportive classroom culture, and using systematic tools such as rubrics to maximize the effectiveness of collaborative and reflective strategies. Future research is recommended to examine the integration of digital platforms and their application across different educational levels and writing genres.