Peer Assessment as a Driver of Cognitive Engagement in Secondary Science Education

Author Information

Arwa Alhemeiri, United Arab Eremites University, United Arab Emirates
Hassan Tairab, United Arab Emirates University, United Arab Emirates

Abstract

Peer assessment has gained increasing attention as an instructional approach that encourages learners to actively engage in evaluating their work through reflection, interaction, and deep processing and construction of scientific knowledge. This study examines the impact of peer assessment on cognitive engagement in Grade 10 science classrooms. Specifically, the study examines how specifically employed peer interaction practices influence students’ cognitive engagement, as demonstrated by strategic thinking, persistence, and effort investment during science tasks.
Grounded in a socio-constructivist framework, the study explores how the practice of peer feedback as an instructional approach supports the construction, clarification, and regulation of understanding. The study employed a quantitative quasi-experimental design involving Grade 10 science students assigned to either a peer-assessment condition or a control condition that used traditional teacher-led feedback. Cognitive engagement was measured by a questionnaire capturing the essential indicators of the construct. Preliminary findings indicate that students participating in peer assessment exhibited higher levels of cognitive engagement compared to their peers in traditional teacher-led feedback settings. Specifically, students in the peer-assessment group showed greater willingness to persist with challenging tasks, employ varied and innovative strategies, and revise ideas after engaging in discussions with peers. These findings suggest that peer assessment not only increases the learner’s feedback literacy but also deepens engagement with scientific content by positioning students as active contributors to one another’s learning.
This study contributes to current efforts to integrate peer assessment practices in science education in light of recent reform introduced in the context of this study. The findings also point to the importance of designing peer assessment opportunities to support cognitive engagement as a fundamental element of meaningful learning.

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