Mediating effect of peer feedback engagement on the relationship between English motivation and English writing performance among Chinese middle school students

Although the L2 Motivational Self System (L2MSS) is one of the most widely applied theories in the field of second language motivation research, studies on the L2 Learning Experience within this framework remain insufficient. Furthermore, previous research has failed to capture the contextual nature of the L2 Learning Experience, resulting in vague definitions and a lack of specificity in its quantification. This study aimed to investigate the L2 Learning Experience within the L2MSS theoretical model in the context of peer feedback instruction for English writing among Chinese middle school students. By integrating the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), this study proposed a mediating model in which Peer Feedback Engagement (PFE) acted as a direct mediator between motivation and writing performance, addressing existing research gaps. The motivation variables included Ideal English Self (IES), Ought-to English Self (OES), and Effort to Learn English (ELE). Peer Feedback Engagement (PFE) comprised cognitive engagement (CE), affective engagement (AE), and positive emotions engagement (PEE). A quantitative research method was employed to address the research questions. The study involved 552 Chinese middle school students who were selected through a combination of stratified and cluster sampling. Data were collected via two closed- ended questionnaires and an English writing test. The questionnaires included the Student English Learning Motivation Scale and the Peer Feedback Engagement Scale. The English writing test consisted of a descriptive writing task, which was scored using the rubric developed by Hedgcock and Lefkowitz (1992). The findings revealed significant positive correlations between English learning motivation, peer feedback engagement, and students’English writing performance. These results underscored the critical roles of English learning motivation and peer feedback engagement in improving English writing outcomes. Notably, the study found that peer feedback engagement partially mediated the relationship between English learning motivation and English writing performance. This study confirmed the mediating role of peer feedback engagement and highlighted the contextual nature of the L2 Learning Experience within the L2MSS framework. Specifically, the L2 Learning Experience should not be narrowly defined as mere “attitudes” or “experiences.” Instead, its operational definition and quantification needed to be tailored to the characteristics of different instructional contexts.

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