The Effect of Self-Regulated Learning-Based Practices on Writing Anxiety: A Curriculum-Focused Mixed Study

Anxiety is part of daily life, and when it is not controlled, it negatively affects performance and success. One type of anxiety that students experience at school as a result of the pressures of educational life is writing anxiety. In the current study, the role of self-regulated learning skills in reducing writing anxiety was examined. The fifth-grade self-regulated writing program (S-rWP) was developed, tested, and revised to align with the text types specified in the native language (L1) course curriculum. A multi-stage random sampling method was used to determine the participants to whom the final program would be applied, and the mean pre-test writing anxiety scores of the two groups, an experimental group and a control group, were close to each other. An instructor trained in self-regulated learning strategies conducted the seven-session program to the experimental group for 6 weeks, while in the same period the same curriculum was conducted to the control group using the traditional teaching method, and finally post-test measurements were taken. Quantitative data from the mixed-method study showed that S-rWP was effective in reducing writing anxiety compared to the standard teaching method. Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews with the participants, the L1 teacher and the instructor. The results show that S-rWP is effective in reducing writing anxiety, in line with the quantitative findings. The participants provided information to support the findings through their opinions, and the L1 teacher and instructor provided information to support the findings through their observations. The results appear to stem from the overlap between students’ writing planning, implementation, and evaluation processes and the three stages of self-regulated learning (forethought, performance, and self-reflection). However, despite these positive outcomes, several suggestions for future research are proposed, taking into account the study’s limitations.