Do Learners’ Self-Efficacy Predict Their Use of Writing Strategies?

Abstract

Writing skill is a crucial skill for students in tertiary level education. For students who do not possess good writing skills, they might be intimidated by writing tasks and assignments. This low self-efficacy might hinder them from performing in a writing task. Hence, this study aims to investigate the relationship between students’ self-efficacy and the writing strategies (metacognitive, effort regulation, cognitive, society, and affective strategies) that they use. A quantitative approach was employed, specifically the survey research design to determine the relationship between these two variables. A total of 147 university students from a public university in Selangor, Malaysia were involved in this study, who responded to a questionnaire distributed through online platforms. In general, the findings of this study found that generally students had high self-efficacy, and they employed various strategies in order to complete their writing tasks. The implication of this study is that while teaching writing strategies to students is helpful, students’ confidence and self-efficacy should also be raised in the teaching and learning process.