Not All Received Peer Feedback Is Equal: The Self‐Regulation Bridge Between Online Peer Feedback and Learning Outcomes

Background Peer feedback is widely used to enhance learning outcomes in online or blended learning. Previous research has suggested that online peer feedback could promote self‐regulation, while the precise role of self‐regulated learning in the relationship between specific types of received peer feedback and learning outcomes remains unclear. This knowledge gap limits the effective design of online peer feedback interventions. Objectives This study aimed to examine the effects of three types of peer feedback (affective feedback, cognitive feedback, and metacognitive feedback) on feedback receivers' learning outcomes and to explore the mediating role of self‐regulated learning in these relationships. Methods A total of 248 undergraduate students participated in the online peer feedback activity for a blended English writing course. At the end of the course, students completed a questionnaire measuring their perceptions of the received peer feedback and their self‐regulated learning. Structural equation modelling was employed to investigate the direct and indirect effects among the variables. Results and Conclusions Results showed that only metacognitive feedback had a significant direct effect on feedback receivers' learning outcomes, but affective feedback and cognitive feedback did not. Importantly, self‐regulated learning significantly mediated the effects of all three types of peer feedback on feedback receivers' learning outcomes. These findings highlight that not all received peer feedback is equal, and fostering self‐regulated learning is crucial for translating online peer feedback into improved learning outcomes.