Using Journaling to Improve Students’ Self-efficacy
for Writing
Yi Shang
Educational Psychology
Multidisciplinary colloquium
Gold Room, Johnson Center
01/12/2014
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
Internal links
▫ Elaboration strategies
External links
(Hubner, Nuckles, & Renkl, 2009)
• Metacognitive knowledge
▫ Declarative knowledge
Audience, Purpose, Context
▫ Procedural knowledge
Planning, drafting, revising
▫ Conditional knowledge
(Raphael, Englert, & Kirschner, 1989)
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
• Journal
▫ Writing assignment
▫ Method of collecting
information, knowledge,
questions
▫ Highly structured with
prompts, rationale, and
criteria
(Brooman & Darwent, 2012)
Background
Findings
Future
Self-Efficacy
Adapted from Bandura (Bandura in Driscoll, 2004, p.318)
Background
Findings
Future
Self-Efficacy
Self-efficacy V.S. Confidence
Self-efficacious Individual
• Construct
General word
• work harder
• Positive
Unspecified
• Resilience
• Capability
Uncertain
• Perseverance
• Particular
Unspecified
• Select challenging settings
• Explore and create environment
(Albert Bandura, 1997, p. 382)
Background
• predict literacy outcomes
(Zimmerman & Risemberg, 1997, p. 78)
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
• Past achievement
• Modeling, self-modeling
• Vicarious experience
• Feedback
• Verbal persuasion
(Baleghizadeh & Mortazavi, 2014, p. 80)
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’ selfefficacy 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
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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