Rachael Kermath
How does assessment influence writers and how
does this affect writing centers?
Writing self-efficacy: the belief in one’s abilities to create an
intelligent, apt, and important piece of writing on one’s own.
Assessment of writing: the evaluation of a work by the writer or
a reader which gives feedback that can affect the writer.
Innate
abilities
Attitude toward past writing
Instructor comments
Type of self-assessment
Students believe that if they aren’t good writers now, they
weren’t meant to write and can therefore never be good
How this affects self-efficacy
Michael Palmquist and Richard Young study
Higher
apprehension
Lower self-efficacy
Palmquist, Michael, and Richard Young. "The Notion of Giftedness and Student Expectations about Writing." Written
Communication 9 (1992): 137-68. Print.
Wachholz, Patricia B., and Carol Etheridge. Speaking for Themselves: Writing Self-Efficacy Beliefs of High- and Low-Apprehensive
Writers. Tech. Jackon, TN: n.p., 1996. ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED403563. ERIC. Web. 23 Nov. 2013.
Watson, Amber. “How Student Beliefs in Giftedness and Teacher Competence Affect Writing Self-Assessments.” Young Scholars in
Writing 5 (Spring 2008): 74-80.
Another type of self-assessment
Previous grades, awards and honors
How this affects self-efficacy
Patricia Wachholz and Carol Etheridge’s study
“These
awards have helped me to feel better about my writing and helps
me to do better” – student with high self-efficacy (9)
“I had an F on my first essay and I then knew my college career was
doomed” – student with low self-efficacy (9)
Wachholz, Patricia B., and Carol P. Etheridge. "Speaking for Themselves: Writing Self-Efficacy Beliefs of High- and Low
Apprehensive Writers." Educational Resources Information Center. N.p., 1996. Web. 24 Oct. 2013.
Other types of teacher involvement can affect self-efficacy, too
Teachers play an important role in student writing development
How this affects self-efficacy
Both positive and negative comments on past writing can affect
a student’s self-efficacy
Patricia Wachholz and Carol Etheridge’s study
“My
English teacher really red inked my papers a lot. I had no confidence
in myself after that.” – student with low self-efficacy (12)
Wachholz, Patricia B., and Carol P. Etheridge. "Speaking for Themselves: Writing Self-Efficacy Beliefs of High- and Low
Apprehensive Writers." Educational Resources Information Center. N.p., 1996. Web. 24 Oct. 2013.
James D. Williams and Seiji Takaku’s study
Students
with lower self-efficacy frequent the writing center
“adaptive help seeking was positively related to the students’ writing
proficiency.” (12)
Williams, James D., and Seiji Takaku. "Help Seeking, Self-efficacy, and Writing Performance among College Students." Journal
of Writing Research 3.1 (2011): 1-18. Web. 24 Oct. 2013.
Tutors need to take all of these sources of adapted selfefficacy into account when tutoring.
Students who believe they are not gifted in writing need to be
shown they can handle it by the use of new techniques
Asking what aspects of writing a student has had trouble with in
the past and helping to overcome those issues can help a
student who has had bad experiences with writing
Tutors can’t do anything about what a teacher writes on a
student’s draft, but it is possible to find the constructive criticism
in negative comments
Emily Bullock suggests that praise, “for even the smallest of
achievements,” is beneficial to students at the writing center
(15).
Katherine Schmidt and Joel Alexander’s research shows that
visiting writing centers actually raises self-efficacy, as opposed
to not seeking any help at all.
Bullock, Emily. "Addressing Apprehension: Approaching the Low Self-Efficacy Writer."Writing Lab Newsletter 37 (Nov.-Dec.
2012): 14-15. The Writing Lab Newsletter. Web. 23 Nov. 2013.
Schmidt, Katherine M., and Joel E. Alexander. "The Empirical Development of an Instrument to Measure Writerly Self-Efficacy in
Writing Centers." Journal of Writing Assessment 5.1 (2012): n. pag. Jan. 2012. Web. 25 Nov. 2013.
Bullock, Emily. "Addressing Apprehension: Approaching the Low Self-Efficacy Writer."Writing
Lab Newsletter 37 (Nov.-Dec. 2012): 14-15. The Writing Lab Newsletter. Web. 23 Nov.
2013.
Palmquist, Michael, and Richard Young. "The Notion of Giftedness and Student Expectations
about Writing." Written Communication 9 (1992): 137-68. Print.
Schmidt, Katherine M., and Joel E. Alexander. "The Empirical Development of an Instrument to
Measure Writerly Self-Efficacy in Writing Centers." Journal of Writing Assessment 5.1
(2012): n. pag. Jan. 2012. Web. 25 Nov. 2013.
Wachholz, Patricia B. Speaking for Themselves: Writing Self-Efficacy Beliefs of High- and Low
Apprehensive Writers. Tech. Jackon, TN: n.p., 1996. ERIC Document Reproduction
Service No. ED403563. ERIC. Web. 23 Nov. 2013.
Watson, Amber. “How Student Beliefs in Giftedness and Teacher Competence Affect Writing
Self-Assessments.” Young Scholars in Writing 5 (Spring 2008): 74-80.
Williams, James D., and Seiji Takaku. "Help Seeking, Self-efficacy, and Writing Performance
among College Students." Journal of Writing Research 3.1 (2011): 1-18. Web. 24
Oct. 2013.