THE INFLUENCE OF SELF-BELIEF AND WRITING PROBLEMS ON STUDENT READINESS FOR ENGLISH ASSESSMENT WRITING
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51200/manu.v36i2.7093Keywords:
Writing Assessment Readiness, Self-Belief, Writing Problems, Reading Quantity, Graduate Students, Higher EducationAbstract
Abstract This quantitative study investigated the factors influencing students' Overall Readiness for Writing Assessments at a large political science and law university in the Southwest China area. Employing a self-developed questionnaire adapted from established instruments and validated by experts, data were collected from a sample of 750 students across 15 schools. The sample, however, was heavily skewed towards new undergraduate students (60.0%) with limited university tenure, representing a significant limitation to the generalizability of findings concerning graduate readiness. Descriptive analysis showed students reported a moderately high level of readiness (x̄ =4.94) and strong self-belief (x̄ =5.55). Bivariate correlation confirmed significant relationships between readiness and Self-Belief (r=0.390,p< 0.01), Writing Problems (r=-0.241,p< 0.01), and Reading Quantity (r=0.118, p< 0.01). Multiple Regression Analysis confirmed the model was statistically significant (F (4, 745)=40.702,p<0.001), with the predictors collectively accounting for 17.9% of the variance in readiness. Self-Belief in Writing Skills (β=0.348, p<0.001) was identified as the strongest unique predictor, followed by Writing Problems (β=-0.159,p<0.001). Conversely, reading behaviours (Quantity, Breadth, and Depth and Courage in Reading) did not make a significant unique contribution. The study concludes that internal psychological factors (confidence and perceived difficulty) are the primary determinants of assessment readiness, suggesting interventions should focus on boosting writing self-efficacy among students.
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