خلاصة:
The present study was designed to initially test a model of the role of a set
of cognitive (namely, aptitude and working memory) and motivational
(namely, language learning goals, self-efficacy beliefs and self-regulation
strategy use) individual differences variables in writing performance of a
group of Iranian undergraduate EFL learners and, subsequently, to
identify the possible differences in the writing quality and composing
behavior of learners with different individual characteristics. A
convenient sample of 125 BA level students of English Language Teaching
and Literature from three state universities in Iran took part in the study.
As for the data collection procedure, these participants, in various time
intervals, wrote an argumentative essay, responded to the composing
process scale, completed the aptitude and working memory measures and
filled in the questionnaires exploring their motivational propensities, selfefficacy
beliefs and self-regulatory strategy use in writing. The collected
data were analyzed by using Path Analysis and Multivariate Analysis of
Variance (MANOVA). Due to some problems like small sample size and
idiosyncratic nature of the data, the model did not give satisfactory fit
indexes. However, it was found that cognitive variables were more strongly
correlated with the writing competence of the learners than the
motivational ones. More specifically, the construct of foreign language
aptitude had the highest potential to account for the writing competence
of the learners and the learners having different levels of this construct
were different from each other in terms of writing quality and composing
processes employed while writing.
ملخص الجهاز:
uk Abstract The present study was designed to initially test a model of the role of a set of cognitive (namely, aptitude and working memory) and motivational (namely, language learning goals, self-efficacy beliefs and self-regulation strategy use) individual differences variables in writing performance of a group of Iranian undergraduate EFL learners and, subsequently, to identify the possible differences in the writing quality and composing behavior of learners with different individual characteristics.
Kormos (2012), after elaborating upon this model, presents and discusses some cognitive (namely, aptitude and working memory) and motivational variables (namely, learning goals, self-efficacy beliefs and self-regulation capacity) that can play a role in L2 writing process and presents some hypotheses about how these individual characteristics might impact the writing quality and composing behavior of different individuals.
g. , Klein & Boscolo, 2016; Nishino & Atkinson, 2015; Silva, 2013) and, as a result, the proliferation of research on L2 writing in domains such as writing instruction; written textual features; writer’s voice, identity, and strategies; writing assessment and role of feedback (Teng & Zhang, 2016; Zhang, Yanb, & Liu, 2015), there are renewed calls for conducting research that studies individual students and contexts (Casanave, 2012; Lee, 2013), validating previous models and identifying other variables that explain L2 writing (Gustilo & Magno, 2015; Lu, 2010), and further examining how cognitive and motivational variables can account for the individual learners’ success or failure in acquiring writing expertise (e.