How to promote learners' knowledge contribution behaviours in peer assessment? The key mediating role of learning motivation

This study investigates how learning motivation mediates the impact of teacher assessment literacy, learner ability, and peer interaction on knowledge contribution behaviors in peer assessment. Drawing on self-determination theory, we propose an integrated model where extrinsic and intrinsic motivation serve as distinct mediators. Data from 165 Chinese undergraduates with peer assessment experience were analyzed using structural equation modeling (Smart PLS). Results reveal that teacher assessment literacy significantly enhances extrinsic motivation, while learner ability fosters intrinsic motivation. Peer interaction amplifies both motivational pathways (extrinsic: β = 0.219; intrinsic: β = 0.469). Crucially, extrinsic and intrinsic motivation partially mediate the effects on knowledge contribution behavior, explaining 51.2 % of its variance. These findings underscore motivation's pivotal role in translating contextual factors into collaborative knowledge-sharing behaviors, advancing theoretical understanding of psychological mechanisms in peer learning environments.