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Supporting peer-feedback in higher education: Empirical studies on scaffolding feedback provision and feedback reception

Year: 2025
Type: dissertation
Abstract: According to current research, peer-feedback is a crucial instructional approach for advancing student learning (e.g., Double et al., 2020). The two phases of the peer-feedback process that are particularly relevant for this thesis are the feedback provision phase and the feedback reception phase, as many important cognitive processes take place during these two phases that actively involve students in their own learning process (e.g., Y. Gao et al., 2023). Nonetheless, research revealed that students frequently face challenges during the peer-feedback process (e.g., Carless & Boud, 2018). For instance, they might have difficulties providing constructive feedback or integrating the feedback they receive (e.g., Lipnevich et al., 2025; Yu & Schunn, 2023). Students thus require instructional support. Various kinds of instructional support can now be differentiated along at least two dimensions: presentation mode and level of specificity (e.g., Ertl et al., 2007; Latifi, Noroozi, & Talaee, 2021). However, it is still unknown how best to use instructional support to facilitate both feedback provision and feedback reception. The purpose of this thesis is to investigate how instructional support can be used to support both the feedback provision phase and the feedback reception phase during technology-enhanced peer-feedback in higher education. This leads to two main research questions, which are addressed through three empirical studies. The first research question relates to how feedback provision and feedback reception can be optimally supported through instructional support, which is addressed through the findings of Study 1 and Study 2. The second research question deals more specifically with how students can be supported in integrating multiple peer-feedback messages. This question is answered using Study 2 and Study 3. Study 1 is a meta-analysis and provides an overview of the current state of research into peer-feedback with instructional support, compared to peer-feedback without instructional support. Specifically, it examined how different kinds of instructional support during feedback provision and feedback reception affect selected peer-feedback processes and outcomes. Firstly, these effects are examined at a general level, and then specific combinations of kinds of instructional support and peer-feedback processes as well as outcomes are examined. The results showed that, in contrast to peer-feedback without instructional support, instructional support has a significantly positive effect on peer-feedback processes and outcomes. In particular, the positive effects of different kinds of instructional support during feedback provision on peer-feedback processes and outcomes are demonstrated. In contrast, no significant effects of instructional support during feedback reception were found. Based on the results of Study 1, Study 2 was an experimental study that examined the effects of a specific scaffold for feedback provision and a specific scaffold for feedback reception on the feedback quality, as well as on evidence-informed reasoning recognition skills (= EIR recognition skills) and evidence-informed reasoning application skills (= EIR application skills). An experimental 2x2-factorial between-subjects design was used to answer these questions, with the independent variables “feedback provision scaffold” (present vs. absent) and “feedback integration scaffold” (present vs. absent). The results revealed a positive impact of the feedback provision scaffold on the feedback quality, but no significant main effects of both scaffolds on either EIR recognition skills or on EIR application skills. Notably, however, there was a negative interaction effect between the two scaffolds on EIR recognition skills, indicating that the scaffolds alone produced positive results compared to when used together. As both Study 1 and Study 2 suggested that the question of how to promote the feedback reception phase seems to be complex, and as little research has been conducted on this topic to date, Study 3 takes an exploratory approach to investigate more closely how learners integrate multiple peer-feedback messages. Specifically, it aims to identify different integration patterns in the integration of multiple peer-feedback messages and to determine the influence of objective feedback features and perceived feedback quality on these patterns. It also aims to establish the influence of these patterns on implementation frequency, revision quality and domain-specific performance of the recipient. The results indicated that three integration patterns can be derived from the available data: the confirmation pattern, the conflict pattern and the selective integration pattern. These patterns were influenced by the objective feedback features of accuracy, relevance and implementability, but not by perceived feedback quality. The patterns also differed in terms of the implementation frequency of the feedback received. However, no significant differences were found in terms of revision quality and domain-specific performance of the recipients. Overall, the thesis makes a valuable contribution to the current state of research on instructional support for enhancing peer-feedback, examining the topic from different perspectives. First, Study 1 provides an overview of the current state of research, which is then expanded upon by Study 2. Additionally, Study 2 and Study 3 offer valuable insights into integrating multiple peer-feedback messages. Thus, the thesis advances the empirical and theoretical state of research, while opening and informing valuable directions for future research.
Language: English
Subfield: Education
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7208134875
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