Using Journaling to Improve Students’ Self-efficacy for Writing

Yi ShangEducational Psychology Multidisciplinary colloquiumGold Room, Johnson Center01/12/2014

Outline

▫Background

▫Findings from literature review

▫Future research

Writing Is Important

• Primary technology for thinking

• Reflection of our own ideas

• Greater coherence of thinking

• Academic performance

• Job opportunities(Davies & Birbili, 2000)

Background Findings Future

Writing Is Complicated

• Cognitive strategies

▫ Organizational strategies ▫ Elaboration strategies

(Hubner, Nuckles, & Renkl, 2009)

• Metacognitive knowledge

▫ Declarative knowledge

▫ Procedural knowledge

▫ Conditional knowledge

(Raphael, Englert, & Kirschner, 1989)

Internal links External links

Audience, Purpose, Context Planning, drafting, revising

Background Findings Future

Writing Process. (2014). Retrieved November 24, 2014, from http://www.lirvin.net/WGuides/wprocess.htm

Possible Tools To Practice Writing

•Diary▫More personal▫Recording of

emotions, thoughts, and observation

▫Less structured

(Brooman & Darwent, 2012)

• Journal▫Writing assignment▫Method of collecting

information, knowledge, questions

▫Highly structured with prompts, rationale, and criteria

Background Findings Future

Self-Efficacy

Background Findings Future

Adapted from Bandura (Bandura in Driscoll, 2004, p.318)

Self-Efficacy

Self-efficacy V.S. Confidence

• Construct General word

• Positive Unspecified

• Capability Uncertain

• Particular Unspecified

(Albert Bandura, 1997, p. 382)

Self-efficacious Individual

• work harder

• Resilience

• Perseverance

• Select challenging settings

• Explore and create environment

• predict literacy outcomes (Zimmerman & Risemberg, 1997, p. 78)Background Findings Future

Research question

How can teachers use journaling to improve students’ self-efficacy for writing in school?

Background Findings Future

Bilingual Abstract• Generally, in higher education in China, writing

classes are not mandatory. Also, students are taught to memorize other people’s writing rather than to compose their own original work. Therefore, many Chinese students struggle with writing when they study abroad and their original writings style is encouraged. Students’ beliefs in their capability to write effectively in specific topics, namely self-efficacy for writing, is very important for academic performance because research proves that highly self-efficacy students will study harder and have more perseverance. The research question for this paper is whether journaling is an effective way to cultivate students’ self-efficacy for writing, and at the same time help students write effectively. The major findings have reported that journaling is an effective tool to practice self-regulative writing. It has also been stated that there is a close correlation between writing self-regulation and self-efficacy for writing, both of which help in improving academic performance. Based on this study, writing teachers might consider planning their curriculum around journaling to improve students’ self-efficacy for writing.

• 在中国的高等教育中，写作往往没有受到足够的重视。同时， 大学生在日常的学习和考试中，大量使用写作模板，这往往导致他们缺乏独立写作的训练。所以很多中国的留学生到国外求学时，首先都需要克服独立写作的挑战。对于独立写作，学术界已经投入的大量研究证明这是一个非常复杂的过程，并且证明写作的自我效能直接和学术表现呈正比。通常，自我效能高的学生会更加努力学习并且更有毅力，因此学术表现也会更好。对于如何提高写作的自我效能有很多方法，这里要探讨的方法是日志。通过对相关文献的学习，发现日志是提高写作自我效能的有效方法。同时，日志有助于训练自我调控，自我调控和自我效能之间呈正比关系。并且，这两个概念都有助于学生的学术表现。因此，基于这篇文献回顾，写作教师可以考虑在创作课程时，利用日志训练并提高学生写作的自我效能。

Findings From Literature Review

Organized according to

▫Journaling

▫Enough scaffolding

Background Findings Future

Journaling

•Course-connected

•Collaborative •Reflective

(Baleghizadeh & Mortazavi, 2014) (Hubner, Nuckles, & Renkl, 2009)

Background Findings Future

Journal and Self-efficacy

• A tangible record

• Modeling, self-modeling

• Feedback

(Baleghizadeh & Mortazavi, 2014, p. 80)

• Past achievement

• Vicarious experience

• Verbal persuasion

Background Findings Future

Enough Scaffolding （ Assistance ）

•Close monitoring

•Models and Prompts

•Feedback

•Supportive context

(Alavi & Taghizadeh, 2014) (Hubner, Nuckles, & Renkl, 2009)Background Findings Future

Conclusion

•With enough scaffolding, course connected, collaborative, and reflective journaling will have a positive impact on self-efficacy for writing. Based on this study, writing teachers might consider planning their curriculum around journaling to improve students’ self-efficacy for writing.

Background Findings Future

Future Research

•How can journaling affect learners’ emotional and physical conditions?

•How to give enough scaffolding to help students become self-regulative writers?

•How can self-regulative writing benefit to self-efficacy for writing?

Background Findings Future

References

• Alavi, S. M., & Taghizadeh, M. (2014). Dynamic Assessment of Writing: The Impact of Implicit/Explicit Mediations on L2 Learners’ Internalization of Writing Skills and Strategies. Educational Assessment, 19(1), 1–16. doi:10.1080/10627197.2014.869446

• Baleghizadeh, S., & Mortazavi, M. (2014). The Impact of Different Types of Journaling Techniques on EFL Learners’ Self-Efficacy. Profile: Issues in Teachers’ Professional Development, 16(1). Retrieved from http://revistasunaledu.vindux.com/index.php/profile/article/view/37184

• Bernadowski, C., Perry, R., & Del Greco, R. (2013). Improving Preservice Teachers’ Self-Efficacy through Service Learning: Lessons Learned. Online Submission, 6(2), 67–86.

• Brooman, S., & Darwent, S. (2012). A positive view of first-year undergraduate reflective diaries: focusing on what students can do. Reflective Practice, 13(4), 517–531. doi:10.1080/14623943.2012.670618

• Hubner, S., Nuckles, M., & Renkl, A. (2009). Writing Learning Journals: Instructional Support to Overcome Learning-Strategy Deficits. Learning and Instruction, 20(1), 18–29. doi:10.1016/j.learninstruc.2008.12.001

• Jalaluddin, I., Yunus, M. M., Yamat, H., & Jusoff, H. K. (2010). A Case Study on Teacher’s Assistance in Writing Classroom: A Look at the Effects on Rural Learners’ Writing Self-efficacy. International Journal of Learning, 17(9), 27–43.

• Nogueira, P. V., & Canelhas, S. (2009). Learning Experience through Diary Writing: A Case Study. International Journal of Learning, 16(7), 471–485.

• Zimmerman, B. J., & Bandura, A. (1994). Impact of Self-Regulatory Influences on Writing Course Attainment. American Educational Research Journal, 31(4), 845–862. doi:10.3102/00028312031004845

• Zimmerman, B. J., & Risemberg, R. (1997). Becoming a Self-Regulated Writer: A Social Cognitive Perspective. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 22(1), 73–101. doi:10.1006/ceps.1997.0919

Thank You & Questions

•Yi Shang•yshang@gmu.edu•Educational Psychology •Multidisciplinary colloquium•Gold Room, Johnson Center•01/12/2014