A descriptive study of peer editing in a middle school language arts classroom

The purpose of this study was multifold. It was to deepen the researcher's understanding of what happens during peer editing activities and peer interaction. A second purpose was to describe the interaction among students in a middle school language arts classroom where peer editing exists. The researcher wanted to determine what themes emerged from the data collected. Third, the study would add to past research about the effects of peer editing on student writing. Additionally, the researcher wanted to see if the findings would point to the effects that audience and response may have on students' writing and students' attitudes toward writing.;The researcher was greatly interested in observing peer editing in a language arts classroom in an effort to be able to describe what occurs when middle school students interact. A qualitative research methodology was designed which worked to reveal several details involved in peer editing: the concept of writer identity, and the values, beliefs, and behaviors that the students of this project connected to the process.;Data was collected over one academic quarter through artifact inventories, participant observation, interviews, and questionnaires. Fifteen eighth grade students served as the participants. The data was found to substantiate some of the previously held views regarding peer editing as well as reveal additional insights regarding the effectiveness of the process. Each interview focused on a specific concept of the study, that is, individual perceptions of peer editing, and the personal characteristics, and phenomenological circumstances considered significant in the peer editing process.;The following conclusions were made concerning peer editing: (1) The collaborative forms of peer editing (engagement) can foster discovery or inquiry learning of basic concepts and others issues related to writing; (2) Peer editing can help underachieving groups of children overcome their motivational deficits; (3) Peer editing favors student's personal growth by improving their attitudes toward others, enhancing self-esteem, and providing them with constructive social experiences; (4) Peer editing aids the teachers' effort to provide individualized learning experiences for their students; and (5) peer editing allows students to communicate effectively about writing and the components of writing.;The data was analyzed using a constant-comparative analysis. The findings are told in a series of descriptions and themes from the perspective of the middle school participants.