Peer-Scaffolded Knowledge Construction: A Design-Based Investigation of Strategy-Based Group Projects for Developing Synthesis Skills Among EFL Students
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22333/ijme.2026.11530Keywords:
synthesis skills; peer scaffolding; design-based research; collaborative learning; strategy-based instruction; sociocultural theory; Zone of Proximal DevelopmentAbstract
This design-based research examined peer-scaffolded synthesis skill development among 72 first-year EFL students at Batna 2 University via a six-week intervention. Groups created iterative case study presentations for peer feedback, grounded in Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD), constructionism, and strategy-based instruction. Multi-method analysis with enhanced statistical testing (repeated measures ANOVA, Cohen's d effect sizes, and hierarchical linear modeling) suggested promising progression in source integration and critical evaluation, with students transitioning from teacher-dependency to internalizing strategies through peer interaction. Key mechanisms included strategy appropriation and peer-led error correction, demonstrating effect sizes ranging from d=1.54 to d=2.12 across synthesis dimensions. Findings suggest that constructionist peer review establishes a collective ZPD where peers serve as 'more capable others' offering a process-oriented model for developing synthesis skills in EFL contexts, albeit findings could be interpreted as more exploratory than causal.
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