The Role of Writing Self-Efficacy in EFL Learners’ Writing Performance

The present study aims at exploring the roles of three types of writing self-efficacy (linguistic self-efficacy, self-regulatory efficacy, and performance self-efficacy) in EFL learners’ writing performance. A total of 67 high-school students participated in the study and were asked to write an argumentative essay in English and to respond to the L2 Writer Self-Efficacy Scale. The results indicate that, for the overall group of the students, significant correlations were found between the students’ essay scores and all three types of writing self-efficacy, and linguistic self-efficacy among them was the only significant predictor for their writing scores. When examining the students’ writing proficiency levels, no significant correlation or explanatory power was found in the high-level group’s outcome, whereas low-level group showed the same pattern as the overall group. These findings highlight the need for further exploratory research on the pedagogical and methodological aspects of writing self-efficacy in EFL contexts.