The longitudinal effects of peer feedback in the development and transfer of student teamwork skills

Building on prior work accounting for a maximum of three time points, this research explores the impact of repeated exposure (up to six times) to a peer feedback system on students' performance at school and work. Drawing on self-regulation theory, this study reports the longitudinal effects of peer feedback on student performance and confidence providing feedback using a within-subjects quasi-experimental field study with a matched comparison sample. Results suggest that repeated use of a peer feedback system offers improvements over time in business students' performance and confidence in providing feedback to peers, irrespective of student differences (i.e. prior teamwork skills). Furthermore, decline in peer ratings of performance over time of the matched comparison sample provide evidence against the maturation hypothesis. A positive effect on participants' on-the-job organizational citizenship behaviors was also identified; evidence that the performance gains from use of the peer feedback system in university extend to the workplace.