Effects of self-assessment and peer assessment on motivation: two multilevel meta analysis with experimental studies

Abstract In recent years, there has been a growing emphasis on student-centered approaches in education, where learners take an active role through self-regulation and autonomy. These approaches enable students to develop a deeper understanding of their own learning, assume responsibility, and engage more meaningfully in the learning process. Self-assessment (SA) and peer assessment (PA) are important practices in which students take an active role by mobilizing their sense of goal orientation, curiosity and enjoyment, as well as providing an evaluation of student performance. This study aimed to combine the effect sizes of experimental studies reporting the effects of SA and PA on motivation using multilevel meta-analysis. Two different meta-analyses were conducted with a total sample of 5154 students, with 74 effect sizes from 44 studies. The findings of the common effect size estimated by the random effects model show that SA (g = 0.66) and PA (g = 0.59) have a positive and significant effect on motivation. Moderator analyses revealed that reviewer training enhances the motivational impact of both SA and PA, and teacher feedback further increases motivation in SA contexts. No significant differences were found across educational levels, subject domains, or skill types, suggesting the generalizability and stability of the findings. Overall, this meta-analysis demonstrates that SA and PA are effective strategies for promoting student motivation and offers several evidence-based recommendations for researchers, practitioners, and policy makers.