The relationship between peer feedback features and revision sources mediated by feedback acceptance: The effect on undergraduate students’ writing performance

While research has extensively investigated the impact of peer feedback on students’ writing, the mechanism of peer feedback in shaping the sources of revision and performance outcome remains unclear. This study examined how peer feedback features (cognitive and affective) and feedback acceptance could impact revision sources (peer- and self-initiated), which in turn influence writing performance. Data were collected from 114 Hong Kong undergraduate students who enrolled on an academic writing course and engaged in peer feedback activities. Path analysis results show both cognitive and affective feedback features were positively associated with students’ peer-initiated revision, and affective feedback features were negatively associated with self-initiated revision. In this process, feedback acceptance positively mediated the effects of cognitive feedback features on peer-initiated revision and negatively mediated the effects of cognitive feedback features on self-initiated revision. Moreover, both peer- and self-initiated revision positively predicted writing performance. The findings suggest feedback should be provided gently to lessen potential negative impact on students’ writing revision. Students are encouraged to critically adopt peer feedback and make revisions at their own discretion.