Perceived teacher feedback and academic performance: the mediating effect of learning engagement and moderating effect of assessment characteristics

The aim of this study was to determine the mediating effect of learning engagement on the relationship between perceived teacher feedback and college students’ academic performance, and the moderating effect of assessment characteristics on the relationship between perceived teacher feedback and learning engagement. A sample of 2,458 students in a university in mainland China was studied. Results indicated that perceived teacher feedback had a positive impact on students’ academic performance; learning engagement had a mediating effect on the relationship between perceived teacher feedback and students’ academic performance; and assessment frequency, difficulty and diversity had moderating effects between perceived teacher feedback and learning engagement. With the three factors of high frequency, difficulty and diversity assessment, perceived teacher feedback was more likely to improve students’ learning engagement. In contrast, feedback without these three factors could decrease or have no impact on students’ learning engagement. This indicates that teacher feedback indirectly affects college students’ academic performance by promoting their learning engagement, and is more effective when the frequency, difficulty or diversity of assessments is high.