Dr. (Mrs.) Oluwayemisi Florence Fatiloro

The study examined the effect of self-editing and peer-editing on informality in writing skill among college of education students in South-West, Nigeria. A pre-test, post-test, control group quasi-experimental research design with a 3x3x2 factorial matrix was adopted for the study. Target population for the study comprised all of the students of Federal Colleges of Education in South-West's while sample was four hundred and seventy-six students selected through multi-stage sampling procedure. Writing Achievement Test 1- Composition Test, Writing Achievement Test 2-Multiple Choice Questions, Writing Self-Efficacy Questionnaires, Self-Editing Checklist of Informality and Peer-Editing Checklist of Informality were employed for data collection in the study. Analysis of data was done with Analysis of Covariance and Sidak Pairwise Test.

Findings from the study revealed a significant outcome of the main effect of treatment (editing strategies) having the highest post-test knowledge mean score of informality in writing skill. The result also indicated a significant main effect of writing self-efficacy on the students’ knowledge of informality in writing skill mean scores. While gender showed no significant main effect of gender on the students’ knowledge of informality in writing skill scores, editing techniques and writing self-efficacy had a significant interaction effect on the students' informality in writing ability ratings, as shown by the results of the 2-way interaction effect. Additionally, the results revealed a statistically significant interaction effect of editing techniques, writing efficacy and gender on the students' informality in writing skill scores.

The study concluded that self-editing and peer editing strategies applied to teach informality in writing skill in this study were potent. Taking learners through them will improve their writing accuracy. This study thus recommended that teachers (at all levels) should employ both peer-editing and self-editing in writing classrooms; schools should include practical sessions and concurrent feedback in language courses in order to empower students’ participation in writing; and Standard British English, which is the variety in which Nigerians are weaned on and is employed for students’ assessment, should be taught and enforced right from primary to post primary institutions.