PEER INTERACTION AS A DETERMINANT OF EFL ENGAGEMENT: EVIDENCE FROM STUDENTS AT A KURDISH UNIVERSITY

Abstract

Although the topic of engagement has been explored in many research studies, few studies have focused on the importance of social factors such as peer interaction on behavioral, emotional, and cognitive engagement of Kurdish learners of English as a Foreign Language (EFL). The research aims to explore the effect of peer interaction and feedback on learner behavioral, emotional and cognitive involvement, and to determine whether the level of English language proficiency (ELP) influences the relationship between the role of peers and learner engagement. This study explores the role of peer interaction and feedback in the engagement of the learners with respect to the Kurdish higher education system in particular at the university of Duhok. A mixed method design was used, which included focus group discussions, open-ended responses in the survey as well as a standardized English language assessment. The subjects of the study were 134 second- and third-year Kurdish EFL learners and they were divided into three levels: beginner, intermediate and advanced levels based on the Oxford Placement Test. The results suggest that positive peer engagement and feedback are important factors in improving behavioral, emotional and cognitive involvement. The results of statistical analysis revealed that 66.5% of the students expressed positive engagement and that the peer interaction had the highest score for engagement (M = 1.78) and was the only statistically significant predictor of positive engagement (p < .05) when compared with other variables. The results indicated that a weak positive correlation was found between engagement and academic achievement (r = .12). These findings also indicate that the effect of peer support depends on levels of proficiency and that the nature of the peer support (e.g. group size, workload distribution, classroom structure, etc.) affects the impact. Inevitably, smaller groups were related to higher levels of involvement and interaction. Engagement was not always associated with improved learning outcomes. The research emphasizes the need for establishing a supportive peer learning atmosphere which enables meaningful involvement in Kurdish EFL classrooms. This work makes further contributions to the distinctions between learner engagement and motivation, participation, and academic achievement. The methodological transparency and analytical rigor were enhanced through strengthening of reliability procedures, coding procedures, and statistical interpretations.