Development of English Grammar and Writing Skills Based on Participation in a Peer-assisted Learning Center
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Abstract
In an effort to address undergraduate students’ insufficient English writing skills in Thailand, this study incorporated a peer-assisted learning (PAL) center to develop their English grammar and writing skills. This mixed-method (both quantitative and qualitative), quasi-experimental study was done at an international college in Thailand, where the control and experimental groups consisted of 36 and 30 research participants respectively. An additional 30 participants functioned as student-peer mentors (SPMs), providing peer feedback to those students in the experimental group. From the research findings, it was concluded that integrating a PAL center as part of an English course’s curriculum can significantly improve student writing skills. However, the participants’ English grammar skills did not improve. With universities incorporating more and more academic projects or other courses of actions in order to augment student skills in various areas, PAL centers could be utilized to develop student writing skills. The research implications for this study provide a framework on how further studies might be built.
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