Improving the quality of students’ written work is a key priority in secondary education systems worldwide, including Kazakhstan, where recent educational reforms emphasise learner-centred pedagogy, formative assessment, and the development of higher-order thinking skills. Despite these reforms, many secondary school students continue to experience difficulties with structuring written texts, developing arguments, and engaging critically with feedback. This study explores how peer-review and peer-feedback practices, when supported by collaborative problem-solving approaches, can enhance the quality of written tasks in Kazakhstani secondary education.

The main research question guiding this study is: How does the implementation of collaborative problem-solving approaches within peer-review and peer-feedback practices affect the quality of students’ written tasks in secondary schools in Kazakhstan? The study further examines how students interpret and use peer feedback during collaborative activities and which dimensions of writing quality - such as coherence, argumentation, and clarity - are most influenced by these practices.

The research is grounded in a socio-constructivist theoretical framework, drawing on Vygotsky’s theory of social interaction and learning, which has particular relevance in post-Soviet and Central Asian educational contexts. Learning is conceptualised as a socially mediated process in which knowledge is co-constructed through dialogue and shared problem-solving. In addition, theories of collaborative learning and formative assessment underpin the study, viewing peer feedback as a dialogic process that supports self-regulation, reflection, and deeper engagement with writing tasks. Collaborative problem-solving is framed as a pedagogical strategy that structures peer interaction and enhances the quality and usefulness of feedback exchanges.

Methodologically, the study adopts a mixed-methods approach, combining qualitative analysis of student-written texts and peer-feedback interactions with quantitative measures of changes in writing quality over time. Data are collected from secondary schools in Kazakhstan, providing insight into how collaborative peer-review practices operate within multilingual classrooms and exam-oriented educational settings.

By situating the findings from Kazakhstan within broader international research on peer feedback and collaborative learning, this study contributes to comparative discussions on writing pedagogy and formative assessment. The results offer transferable insights for European and international educators seeking to implement collaborative approaches that improve writing quality and foster active learner participation across diverse educational contexts.

This study employs a mixed-methods research design to examine the impact of collaborative problem-solving approaches on the effectiveness of peer-review and peer-feedback practices in enhancing the quality of written tasks in secondary education in Kazakhstan. A mixed-methods approach allows for a comprehensive analysis by combining measurable changes in writing quality with in-depth insights into students’ and teachers’ experiences. The research is conducted in secondary schools in Kazakhstan, involving students aged approximately 12-14 years. A quasi-experimental design is used, with an intervention group implementing structured peer-review activities supported by collaborative problem-solving tasks, and a comparison group following more traditional teacher-led feedback practices. Data sources and research instruments include: 1. Student written texts, collected before and after the intervention, to measure changes in writing quality. Texts are analysed using an analytic writing rubric focusing on coherence, structure, argumentation, language use, and task fulfilment. 2. Peer-feedback artefacts, including written comments and collaborative task outputs, to examine the nature and quality of feedback provided during peer-review processes. 3. Classroom observations, guided by an observation protocol, to document student interaction, collaboration patterns, and engagement during peer-review and problem-solving activities. 4. Student questionnaires, administered pre- and post-intervention, to capture students’ perceptions of peer feedback, collaboration, and their confidence in writing. 5. Semi-structured teacher interviews, conducted after the intervention, to explore teachers’ perspectives on the feasibility, challenges, and pedagogical value of collaborative peer-review practices. Quantitative data from writing assessments and questionnaires are analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics to identify changes over time and differences between groups. Qualitative data from observations, peer-feedback artefacts, and interviews are analysed thematically to identify recurring patterns and explanatory factors. This methodological approach enables a nuanced understanding of how collaborative problem-solving enhances peer-feedback processes in Kazakhstani secondary classrooms, while generating findings that are relevant to international discussions on writing instruction and formative assessment.

The study is expected to demonstrate that integrating collaborative problem-solving approaches into peer-review and peer-feedback practices leads to measurable improvements in the quality of students’ written tasks in secondary education. In particular, improvements are anticipated in areas such as text coherence, organisation, clarity of argumentation, and the effective use of evidence, as students engage more deeply with both giving and receiving feedback. It is expected that structured collaborative problem-solving activities will enhance the quality and usefulness of peer feedback, shifting it from surface-level comments (e.g. grammar or spelling) toward more substantive feedback addressing content, structure, and reasoning. Through dialogue and shared responsibility, students are likely to develop greater awareness of writing criteria and increased capacity for self-regulation and revision. From a pedagogical perspective, the findings are expected to indicate that students become more active and confident participants in the writing process. Engagement in collaborative peer-review is anticipated to support the development of transversal skills, including communication, critical thinking, and collaboration, which are increasingly emphasised in Kazakhstani educational reforms and international competency frameworks. Teacher perceptions are expected to highlight both the feasibility and challenges of implementing collaborative peer-feedback practices in exam-oriented and multilingual classroom contexts. While time constraints and students’ initial reluctance to critique peers may emerge as challenges, teachers are likely to recognise the long-term benefits of these approaches for student autonomy and learning quality. At a broader level, the study is expected to contribute to international and European debates on formative assessment and writing pedagogy by providing empirical evidence from a Central Asian context that is underrepresented in educational research. The findings aim to demonstrate the transferability of collaborative peer-feedback approaches across different educational systems, offering practical insights for educators and policymakers seeking to enhance writing instruction through learner-centred and collaborative practices.

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