Exploring Academic Writing Strategies Using The Social Cognitive Theory

Abstract

Guided by Social Cognitive Theory, this study examines learners’ academic writing strategies drawing on Bandura's (1986) model, and focuses on how environmental, personal and behavioural factors are interdependent in influencing learners' writing. The study employed a quantitative survey design involving 109 undergraduate and postgraduate students in a Malaysian public university. The data were gathered using a structured questionnaire adapted from Raoofi et al. (2017), consisting of 27 items grouped under three main strategy domains: metacognitive, cognitive/effort regulation and social-affective strategies. The data obtained were analysed using descriptive statistics and correlation analysis through SPSS. The findings show that learners reported using metacognitive strategies, particularly for revising and monitoring their writing, while social strategies were used at a moderate level. This correlation analysis shows significant relationships among all three factors, with the strongest between personal and behavioural factors. Overall, the findings reveal the interconnected roles of cognition, action, and the learning environment in academic writing. The study provides pedagogical insights on shaping self-regulated writers and offers directions for further research on developing writing strategies.