The role of writing and reading self-efficacy in first-year preservice EFL teachers’ writing performance

Abstract

Reading and writing self-efficacy have been recognized as related to and predictors of writing performance (e.g. Prad-Sala & Redford, 2012; Shell, Murphy & Bruning, 1989). As reading academic texts and writing essays are two essential components of undergraduate programs, discovering and discussing self-efficacy beliefs in reading and writing become valuable. Social cognitive framework suggests that students donated with same skills may perform differently based on their perceived selfefficacy in target tasks (Bandura, 1977, 1986, 1997). Given the role of these two concepts, the current study aims to identify the relationship between perceived reading and writing self-efficacy beliefs in addition to their effect on writing performance with two surveys (Self-efficacy in writing [SEW], Self-efficacy in reading [SER], Prat-Sala & Redford, 2010). The first-year EFL preservice teachers of a state university in Turkey (N = 116) completed SEW and SER surveys. Writing performances of the participants were evaluated by a short essay written for the final exam of Written Communication Course. The findings revealed that SEW was positively and significantly correlated with writing performance as well as SER. Also, hierarchical regression analysis demonstrated that SER and SER significantly accounted for the variance in writing scores. Implications were discussed based on the results and the related literature.