Peer Feedback as a Lever for Enhancing Reading Comprehension in Primary Schools: An Evidence-Based Experience

The scientific debate linked to the topic of student participation in assess- ment processes has contributed, over the years, to the definition of the construct of “assessment for learning” (Assessment Reform Group, 1999) as an evolution of the concept of “formative assessment”. According to the literature, placing students at the center of the evaluation moment re- sponds to the dual purpose of making them more aware of the learning objects and, at the same time, of building their own evaluation literacy. In this scenario, research has highlighted the key role of feedback in learning processes (Black & William, 1998), considering it particularly effective (Dann, 2018; Parkin et al., 2012) to encourage the development of meta- cognitive skills and of self-regulation. Its effectiveness appears to in- crease when it is provided by peers. As noted by Hung (2018), however, experiments related to the topic of peer evaluation are still few in schools, compared to what has been carried out in academic settings. Considering these premises, this contribution intends to investigate what effects the use of peer feedback produces on the quality of primary and secondary school students’ work and how it influences their critical evaluation skills.