How does motivation influence students’ feedback seeking processes?

Abstract

<p>Feedback seeking is a proactive process through which students solicit performance-relevant information from their environment. Students’ motivation to seek feedback predicts their related perceptions and behaviours. However, the motivational rationale for feedback seeking in higher education is not well understood. Here, we investigate the relationships between motivation, cost–value perception and behaviour frequency in feedback seeking processes. This quantitative study uses the data of 930 Chinese university students from a survey on five types of motivation for feedback seeking according to self-determination theory (intrinsic motivation, identification, introjection, external regulation and amotivation), cost–value perceptions and behaviour frequencies (monitoring and inquiry). Structural equation modelling is used to explore the relations between these constructs. Our findings indicate that identification, introjection and amotivation predict the perceived cost or value. Intrinsic motivation, identification and introjection are related to monitoring or inquiry frequency. Cost–value analysis is shown to directly affect the monitoring or inquiry frequency. Our research recommends educators mitigate students’ introjection while fostering their identification for feedback seeking. Incorporating feedback seeking as a regular curricular activity may develop students’ self-directed learning competencies. Given students’ greater propensity for monitoring over inquiry, future research could target enhancing their monitoring skills.</p>