Investigation of Middle School Students’ Writing Anxieties, Writing Attitudes, and Writing Self-Efficacy: A Mediational Model

The research aimed to investigate the impact of writing anxiety on secondary school students' writing attitudes and writing self-efficacy. Additionally, the study sought to determine the relationships between these emotional processes and the directions in which they influence each other. The participants were secondary school students aged between 12 and 15, receiving education in their native language in Türkiye. Structural Equation Modeling was employed for data analysis, examining the relationships and potential causal links between writing anxiety, writing attitude, and writing self-efficacy. The research findings indicated that writing anxiety negatively predicts both writing attitude and writing self-efficacy. Conversely, writing attitude has a positive impact on writing self-efficacy. Furthermore, the findings identified that writing attitudes have mediating effect on the relationship between writing anxiety and writing self-efficacy. Based on the findings, native language teachers may foster students’ writing self-efficacy by designing activities appealing students’ levels and interests to eliminate anxiety in writing. Also, the teachers may create a positive native language learning environment in which mistakes are tolerated to develop positive attitudes towards writing.