Writing Self-Efficacy and Performance Among Students in an Online Doctoral Program

Abstract

Writing an argument is an essential skill for doctoral students in achieving academic and occupational success. Writing an argument effectively requires the ability to use correct writing mechanics, but doctoral students may tend to think their writing mechanics are better than they are, and their ability to write an argument effectively may be compromised as a result. At one university, this gap between student perceptions of their ability to write and their writing performance appeared to exist. A study was conducted to determine whether there was a mismatch between perceived writing self-efficacy and writing performance. Study results showed that higher perceived writing self-efficacy seems to be associated with certain mechanical writing errors, including wordiness and inaccurate grammar. Knowing this mismatch between writing self-efficacy and writing performance may exist is important (a) for students in terms of their awareness, and (b) for tertiary educators to better target tertiary writing interventions.