Writing Self-Efficacy of Elementary Students With Learning Disabilities

Abstract

Writing is an important academic skill that many students with learning disabilities (LDs) find difficult to master. To acquire basic literacy skills, early intervention and appropriate accommodations are crucial for these learners. In the context of writing achievement, self-efficacy refers to students’ beliefs about their abilities to accomplish specific writing tasks. Past literature has demonstrated a bidirectional relationship between self-efficacy and writing performance. However, while research has explored writing self-efficacy in elementary students, little is known about the experiences of students with LDs. Using a mixed methods approach, this research project explored the writing self-efficacy and writing skills of 29 students with LDs in Grades 3-6 and explored the perspectives of 21 students and 22 parents. The study employed a multi-modal survey instrument (Zumbrunn et al., 2020) to determine whether writing self-efficacy varies across grade levels, a writing activity to assess students’ writing skills, and one-on-one semi-structured interviews with students and their parents to explore perspectives on writing and perceived learning needs. The results revealed that students in Grades 3 and 4 had lower levels of self-efficacy for self-regulation than students in Grade 5. As well, interviews yielded rich descriptions of parents’ and students’ attitudes, thoughts, and feelings toward writing and effective instruction. These findings extend theories of pragmatism, inclusion, and social cognitive theory (Bandura, 2012). Implications for the findings will inform teachers’ approaches to writing instruction and interventions for struggling writers. Future research might consider the role of additional sociodemographic and motivational variables and extend the present study to additional student populations.