Teacher Evaluation of Peer Response in Practical Research

A Review of the Literature

Abstract

This study analyzed the evaluation perspectives regarding the peer response (PR) practices of teachers through a review of the literature on practical PR research. Papers in which the authors discussed PR practicesas teachers were extracted from the search results in the CiNii database and 68 articles by 44 different authors were analyzed. Although PR has been practiced in various educational institutions under a philosophy that emphasizes process and collaboration, many studies on practical research still analyze its effects on cognitive aspects, such as changes in composition and enhancement of self-revision skills. Among articles focused on social aspects, such as the PR process and the significance of collaboration, three papers presented clear views of practitioners about education, evaluated the PR practice primarily in relation to the willingness to write, the joy of expression, and the building of relationships among learners, and valued the interactions themselves. The significance of PR varies greatly depending on the practitioner. Future practical research on PR will require practitioners to describe the type and purpose of the PR practiced and to consciously describe theireducational perspective within the context of the specific practice.