Abstract:
This study investigated the effect of peer review technique on the achievement of students in English essay writing in Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State. Five research questions and five null hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. The study engaged quasi-experimental research design. The sample for the study consisted of 160 SSS2 students from two co-educational schools in Odigbo Local Government Area. The experimental group comprised 78 male and female students from schools located in rural and urban areas. The control group comprised 82 male and female students from schools located in rural and urban areas. A multi-stage random sampling technique was used. First to draw the two co-educational schools and two intact classes from each of the schools, and to assign schools to experimental and control groups. Both the experimental group and control group were given the same essay writing but the difference is that while those in the experimental group were taught essay writing with PRT, those in the control group were taught essay writing in using the lecture method. The instrument used for data collection was Essay Writing Achievement Test (EWAT) which was marked over fifty. The EWAT was validated by three experts. The instrument was trial tested on twenty students from Methodist secondary school, Okitipupa, Ondo state. The data obtained from the trial tests were used to calculate the reliability of the instrument using Kendall’s formula. It yielded an index of 0.71. Mean was used to answer the research questions while ANCOVA was used to test the hypotheses at P< 0.05. From the results obtained, it was found out that students in the experimental group had significant higher achievement score in essay writing than their counterparts who are in the control group. Also, gender had a significant effect on the achievement of students in essay writing but school location did not. In addition, the interaction effect between treatment and gender was not significant as well as the treatment and school location was not significant. Based on the findings, it was recommended that English language teachers should adopt peer review technique in teaching essay writing. Different tasks which can aid extensive writing activities should be employed from junior secondary schools to senior secondary school being the foundational classes. The curriculum planners should also include the use of peer review technique in the next review of curriculum.
