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Writing in Early Adolescence: A Review of the Role of Self-Efficacy Beliefs

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Abstract

This review examines and summarizes 16 research studies examining the writing self-efficacy beliefs of 6th- to 10th-grade students. In the majority of the studies, self-efficacy was found to play a primary role in predicting student writing performance. Students with learning disabilities were found to over-estimate their ability to complete specific writing tasks. Several studies found gender differences, with boys rating their confidence higher than girls, although actual performance did not differ. Grade-level differences in perceived efficacy for writing were found in some studies, but not in others. Most studies emphasized that those working with young adolescents need to be aware of the importance of self-efficacy and other motivational beliefs in conjunction with academic functioning. Difficulties with specificity of self-efficacy measures, and with correspondence between measure and criterial task were found in several studies. The article concludes with suggestions for future self-efficacy research.

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Klassen, R. Writing in Early Adolescence: A Review of the Role of Self-Efficacy Beliefs. Educational Psychology Review 14, 173–203 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1014626805572

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