A psychological perspective on peer tutoring in EFL collaborative writing in Chinese higher education contexts
- 1School of Foreign Studies, Anhui Polytechnic University, Wuhu, China
- 2Faculty of Education, Language, Psychology and Music, SEGi University, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia
Abstract
In Chinese higher learning institutions, students learning English as a foreign language (EFL) often demonstrate low writing self-efficacy (WSE) and poor writing competence. The present study examined the associations between the integration of peer tutoring with collaborative writing and students’ WSE and writing outcomes from a psychological perspective. A quasi-experiment was implemented for 11 weeks for 100 Chinese university students studying EFL. Changes in WSE were examined, and writing competence was assessed using tests. The results showed a notable rise in students’ WSE after the instructional intervention. The multiple linear regression analysis indicated that gains in WSE were positively associated with the writing outcome after controlling for pretest writing competence and group membership, explaining 20.2% of the total variance. These results suggest that peer-supported collaborative writing was associated with higher EFL writing competence alongside increased WSE. These findings align with theoretical justifications based on peer scaffolding and the Zone of Proximal Development, although these processes were not directly measured in the present study. These findings imply that incorporating peer tutoring into collaborative writing might be associated with the development of WSE and improved writing competence among EFL students at Chinese universities. Increased WSE appeared to be a significant, albeit partial, predictor of writing competence, highlighting the potential relevance of WSE development in peer-supported collaborative writing contexts.
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BibTeX
@article{huang2026psychological,
title = {{A psychological perspective on peer tutoring in EFL collaborative writing in Chinese higher education contexts}},
author = {Zefu Huang and Nalini Arumugam},
journal = {PLOS One},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.1371/journal.pone.0362263},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0362263},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - A psychological perspective on peer tutoring in EFL collaborative writing in Chinese higher education contexts
AU - Zefu Huang
AU - Nalini Arumugam
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/06
JO - PLOS One
DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0362263
UR - https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0362263
AB - In Chinese higher learning institutions, students learning English as a foreign language (EFL) often demonstrate low writing self-efficacy (WSE) and poor writing competence. The present study examined the associations between the integration of peer tutoring with collaborative writing and students’ WSE and writing outcomes from a psychological perspective. A quasi-experiment was implemented for 11 weeks for 100 Chinese university students studying EFL. Changes in WSE were examined, and writing competence was assessed using tests. The results showed a notable rise in students’ WSE after the instructional intervention. The multiple linear regression analysis indicated that gains in WSE were positively associated with the writing outcome after controlling for pretest writing competence and group membership, explaining 20.2% of the total variance. These results suggest that peer-supported collaborative writing was associated with higher EFL writing competence alongside increased WSE. These findings align with theoretical justifications based on peer scaffolding and the Zone of Proximal Development, although these processes were not directly measured in the present study. These findings imply that incorporating peer tutoring into collaborative writing might be associated with the development of WSE and improved writing competence among EFL students at Chinese universities. Increased WSE appeared to be a significant, albeit partial, predictor of writing competence, highlighting the potential relevance of WSE development in peer-supported collaborative writing contexts.
SN - 1932-6203
ER -