A Mixed Methods Approach to Investigating Self-efficacy and Tolerance of Ambiguity: A Case of Writing Ability

Investigating the combined effect of psychological constructs on learners’ writing accuracy and fluency has remained underexplored. The urgent shift to online education, particularly self-efficacy or tolerance of ambiguity has been demanding for teachers, students, and others involved in education. Accordingly, adopting a mixed methods approach, this study aimed to address this gap by examining how self-efficacy and tolerance of ambiguity influence writing performance among Iranian learners of English as a foreign language (EFL). To that end, a total of 75 upper-intermediate EFL learners purposively sampled from a branch of Islamic Azad University were assigned to three groups: two experimental groups receiving 12 weeks of targeted strategy trainings (i.e., self-efficacy and tolerance of ambiguity groups), and a control group receiving the conventional instruction. Semi-structured interviews with 11 purposively selected EFL learners complemented quantitative data to explore the experiential perspectives. Data were collected through validated questionnaires (i.e., self-efficacy questionnaire and tolerance of ambiguity strategies scale), timed writing tasks, and interviews. ANCOVA analyses, controlling for Enlgish proficiency as a covariate, revealed statistically significant effects. The results confirmed that self-efficacy strategies markedly enhanced writing accuracy, while tolerance of ambiguity training substantially improved fluency. Qualitative insights further underscored their interdependence, with self-efficacy fostering resilience and tolerance of ambiguity enabling adaptive experimentation. The findings are useful in advancing theoretical frameworks and integrating both constructs into EFL pedagogy to enhance writing accuracy and fluency. Educators should prioritize interventions that leverage these psychological strategies, such as structured goal-setting and iterative revisions, to address the cognitive and affective demands of second language (L2) writing.