Student perspectives on writing self-efficacy in first-year composition

Abstract

This study examines how writing self-efficacy (WSE) develops over time among first-year university students and identifies the instructional and contextual factors that shape that development. Drawing on social cognitive theory, we employed a mixed-methods design to investigate the extent and the sources of change in students’ WSE during a ten-week writing course. Data from 252 students enrolled in three different first-year writing courses included surveys, reflective journal entries, and interviews. Quantitative analyses revealed significant increases in WSE over 10 weeks, while qualitative data showed how students attributed these changes to factors such as feedback, writing practice, instructional design, and their own goal-setting and effort during the study term. Students’ reflections in particular revealed complex relationships between past writing experiences, evolving self-perceptions, and classroom environments to explain their levels of writing self-efficacy. Our findings suggest that pedagogical practices that foreground student agency, metacognitive reflection, and supportive feedback can foster meaningful growth in writing confidence, even within a single academic term. By highlighting student voices and integrating narrative and text analysis, this study contributes to ongoing WSE research and contributes to conversations about how writing instruction can support students’ positive beliefs about themselves as writers.