DIGITAL PEER FEEDBACK IN ESL WRITING INSTRUCTION: EFFECTS ON WRITING ACCURACY, LEARNER AUTONOMY, AND METACOGNITIVE AWARENESS IN UZBEK SECONDARY SCHOOLS

Abstract

The pedagogical integration of digital tools into ESL writing instruction has increasingly foregrounded feedback as a central mechanism for learning. While automated and teacher-mediated feedback have been extensively examined, digitally mediated peer feedback remains underexplored, particularly in underrepresented educational contexts such as Uzbekistan. This study investigates the effects of digital peer feedback on writing accuracy, learner autonomy, and metacognitive awareness among ESL learners in uzbek secondary schools. Grounded in sociocultural theory and process-oriented writing pedagogy, the study conceptualizes peer feedback as a form of mediated learning activity rather than a peripheral evaluative practice. Employing a mixed-methods design, the study analyzes pre- and post-writing performance, peer feedback interactions, and learner perceptions. The findings demonstrate statistically and pedagogically significant improvements in linguistic accuracy, increased learner autonomy in revision practices, and enhanced metacognitive awareness of writing processes. The study argues that digital peer feedback, when pedagogically scaffolded, constitutes a high-impact mechanism for aligning digital affordances with learner-centered writing development. Implications are drawn for the systematic integration of peer-mediated digital feedback in ESL classrooms within similar educational contexts