Developing the Student Writing Affect Survey: A Measure of Student Self-Efficacy Toward Writing

• In Event: Roundtable Session 34
  In Roundtable Session: Writing and Literacies SIG Roundtable 4. Children's Writing: The Truth About Feedback, Self-Efficacy, and Gender Bias

Abstract

Students’ affect toward writing influences achievement, and therefore affective measures need to be utilized to help determine whether poor writing is a result of underdeveloped skills or affective issues. This study describes the validation of a new measure of self-efficacy towards writing. We administered the Student Writing Affect Survey (SWAS) to over 500 students in grades six through eight and then split the sample to conduct exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. To provide external validation, we also administered this survey to a smaller group of students in grades 6 through 11, and correlated their self-reported scores with their writing behaviors and teacher ratings. Our findings indicate that the SWAS yields valid scores to measure students’ self-efficacy towards writing.

Authors

• Katherine Landau Wright, Texas A&M University - College Station

• Tracey S. Hodges, University of Southern Mississippi

• Erin M. McTigue, Texas A&M University