A Comparative Study of Online Teacher-Involved and Peer Interactive Learning: Chinese EFL Students’ Perceptions and Practices

This comparative study aims at exploring Chinese university English as a foreign language (EFL) students’ perceptions and practice of two types of interactive learning: the teacher-involved one and the peer one, as well as the factors that may have impacts on their learning. Participants of the study were 32 Chinese EFL students enrolled in a university, being randomly divided into two groups. One group of students participated in teacher-involved interactive learning in an online context; the other group interacted with peers for learning while the teachers were not involved in learning activities. Data collection were administrated via students’ online learning documents and semi-structured individual interviews. It was found that students’ perceptions and practice were different in two types of interaction. In teacher-involved interactive learning, participants were under the strong impacts of their teachers, and had more stable engagement in learning; while students in peer interactive learning were influenced by a wider range of factors, leading to their less stable participation and production in learning activities. Besides, EFL students were found to be more active in a teacher-involved learning context. Recommendations for future studies are provided on the base of these findings