The Impact Of Networked English Writing On College Students’ Writing Self-efficacy

The process of writing is involved with various affective and cognitive factors. In various affective factors, self-efficacy has been a relatively new focus. Bandura (1986:391) defines self-efficacy as follows:"People’s judgments of their capabilities to organize and execute courses of action required to attain designated types of performances". Self efficacy is commonly defined as the belief in one’s capabilities to achieve a goal or an outcome. Students with a strong sense of efficacy are more likely to challenge themselves with difficult tasks and be intrinsically motivated. These students will put forth a high degree of effort in order to meet their commitments, and attribute failure to things which are in their control, rather than blaming external factors. Self-efficacious students also recover quickly from setbacks, and ultimately are likely to achieve their personal goals. Students with low self-efficacy, on the other hand, believe they cannot be successful and thus are less likely to make a concerted, extended effort and may consider challenging tasks as threats that are to be avoided. Thus, students with poor self-efficacy have low aspirations which may result in disappointing academic performances becoming part of a self-fulfilling feedback cycle. Based on the social learning theory, self-efficacy is a product of intricate processing of self-persuasion relying on the cognitive procession of a diversity of sources of self-efficacy information.Networks were introduced to ESL/EFL classes only recently. Hence, to date, only a few empirical studies have investigated effects of network on ESL student writing. This study utilizes Qzone, a social networking service provided by Tencent, Inc., as the platform for the networked English Writing within the learning community. The study compared students’level of English writing self-efficacy in two contexts:in a networked writing class and in a traditional lecture-style class. The present study employed quantitative research method, reporting on an empirical investigation to assess the effects of the social networked English writing on students’ writing self-efficacy as well as students’ opinions about this course in a college.70non-English major students from two departments in Hubei University were enrolled in the study. Data was collected by means of questionnaires. First and final questionnaires were scored holistically, and the data was analyzed by SPSS. The results of this study demonstrate that the networked setting was shown to better promote learner’s writing self-efficacy. The networked English writing is effective in fostering learners’writing self-efficacy, and the data from the attitude questionnaire reveal that the majority of the students hold a positive attitude toward the networked English writing.