Formative Assessment and Writing Anxiety: The Role of Writing Self-Concept and Learning Attitudes

This study examines the relationship between formative assessment (FA) and L2 writing anxiety (WA) by investigating the mediating roles of writing self-concept (WSC) and learning attitudes in Automated Writing Evaluation (AWE)-supported English as Foreign Language (EFL) writing (LAiW). A mixed-methods approach combined covariance-based structural equation modeling (CB-SEM) on survey data from 366 Chinese university students and semi-structured interviews with eight participants. The quantitative findings showed that FA did not exert a direct effect on WA, instead demonstrating a fully mediated relationship. FA significantly predicted improvements in both WSC and LAiW, which subsequently exerted significant negative effects on WA. The qualitative findings triangulated these results, revealing that although AWE enhances metacognitive engagement and immediate linguistic scaffolding, teacher mediation remains essential for higher-order writing concerns and emotional support. The study proposes an affective-cognitive framework for AWE-integrated EFL FA and highlights the need for coordinated AI-teacher collaboration.