1887
  1. Home
  2. e-Journals
  3. Pedagogical Linguistics
  4. Online First Articles
  5. Online First Article
image of Swedish medical students’ writing self-efficacy and writing beliefs regarding undergraduate thesis writing
EPUB
PDF

Abstract

Medical students in Sweden often write their first thesis in English as a foreign language without prior training in academic writing. This study examines their writing beliefs and self-efficacy, and how these may change during the writing process. Writing self-efficacy refers to a person’s belief in their ability to perform specific writing skills and tasks, such as writing a thesis. Forty-two Swedish medical students (42/300, 14%) completed validated questionnaires examining their writing self-efficacy and beliefs regarding the writing process: The Situated Academic Writing Self-Efficacy Scale (SAWSES) and The Writing Process Questionnaire. Despite the medical students’ limited prior writing experience, they had a high writing self-efficacy, suggesting overconfidence. There was a slight tendency for the self-efficacy to decrease during the actual writing of the thesis. The students had the highest self-efficacy concerning more mechanical aspects of writing, such as using academic vocabulary and synthesising information, and the lowest self-efficacy concerning organising ideas and writing for an audience. Their beliefs could reflect immature writing development. The study’s results highlight the need for improved thesis preparation and clearer writing curriculum goals for medical students.

© John Benjamins Publishing Company
Available under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1075/pl.24016.han
2025-09-11
2026-09-07

  • From This Site

    /content/journals/10.1075/pl.24016.han
    dcterms_title,dcterms_subject,pub_keyword
    -contentType:Journal -contentType:Contributor -contentType:Concept -contentType:Institution
    10
    5
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

/deliver/fulltext/10.1075/pl.24016.han/pl.24016.han.html?itemId=/content/journals/10.1075/pl.24016.han&mimeType=html&fmt=ahah

References

  1. Artino, Anthony R.
    (2012) Academic self-efficacy: from educational theory to instructional practice. Perspectives on medical education, (), –. 10.1007/S40037‑012‑0012‑5
     https://doi.org/10.1007/S40037-012-0012-5 [Google Scholar]
  2. Bandura, Albert
    (1978) Self-efficacy: Toward a unifying theory of behavioral change. Advances in Behaviour Research and Therapy, (), –. 10.1016/0146‑6402(78)90002‑4
     https://doi.org/10.1016/0146-6402(78)90002-4 [Google Scholar]
  3. Cumming, A., & Ross, M.
    (2007) The Tuning Project for Medicine--learning outcomes for undergraduate medical education in Europe. Med Teach, (), –. 10.1080/01421590701721721
     https://doi.org/10.1080/01421590701721721 [Google Scholar]
  4. Di Bitetti, M. S., & Ferreras, J. A.
    (2017) Publish (in English) or perish: The effect on citation rate of using languages other than English in scientific publications. Ambio, (), –. 10.1007/s13280‑016‑0820‑7
     https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-016-0820-7 [Google Scholar]
  5. Ekholm, Eric, Zumbrunn, Sharon, & Conklin, Sarah
    (2015) The relation of college student self-efficacy toward writing and writing self-regulation aptitude: writing feedback perceptions as a mediating variable. Teaching in higher education, (), –. 10.1080/13562517.2014.974026
     https://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2014.974026 [Google Scholar]
  6. Fosnacht, Kevin, Sarraf, Shimon, Howe, Elijah, & Peck, Leah K.
    (2017) How Important are High Response Rates for College Surveys?Review of higher education, (), –. 10.1353/rhe.2017.0003
     https://doi.org/10.1353/rhe.2017.0003 [Google Scholar]
  7. Frank, J. R., Snell, L. S., Cate, O. T., Holmboe, E. S., Carraccio, C., Swing, S. R., … Harris, K. A.
    (2010) Competency-based medical education: theory to practice. Med Teach, (), –. 10.3109/0142159X.2010.501190
     https://doi.org/10.3109/0142159X.2010.501190 [Google Scholar]
  8. Gothenburg University
    Gothenburg University (2023) Overall instructions for writing a thesis. University of Gothenburg. https://studentportal.gu.se/sites/default/files/2023-10/S%2002%20Overall%20instructions%20writing%20a%20thesis.pdf
     [Google Scholar]
  9. Kellogg, R. T.
    (2008) Training writing skills: A cognitive developmental perspective. Journal of writing research, (), –. 10.17239/jowr‑2008.01.01.1
     https://doi.org/10.17239/jowr-2008.01.01.1 [Google Scholar]
  10. Kellogg, Ronald T., & Raulerson, R. D. Bascom A.
    (2007) Improving the writing skills of college students. Psychonomic bulletin & review, (), –. 10.3758/BF03194058
     https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03194058 [Google Scholar]
  11. Kellogg, Ronald T., & Whiteford, Alison P.
    (2009) Training Advanced Writing Skills: The Case for Deliberate Practice. Educational psychologist, (), –. 10.1080/00461520903213600
     https://doi.org/10.1080/00461520903213600 [Google Scholar]
  12. Kim-Rivera, E. G.
    (1999) English Language Education in the Swedish Compulsory School. Foreign language annals, (), –. 10.1111/j.1944‑9720.1999.tb02394.x
     https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1944-9720.1999.tb02394.x [Google Scholar]
  13. Kobayashi, Hiroe, & Rinnert, Carol
    (2013) L1/L2/L3 writing development: Longitudinal case study of a Japanese multicompetent writer. Journal of second language writing, (), –. 10.1016/j.jslw.2012.11.001
     https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jslw.2012.11.001 [Google Scholar]
  14. Lonka, Kirsti, Chow, Angela, Keskinen, Jenni, Hakkarainen, Kai, Sandström, Niclas, & Pyhältö, Kirsi
    (2014) How to measure PhD Students’ conceptions of academic writing — and are they related to well-being?Journal of writing research, (), –. 10.17239/jowr‑2014.05.03.1
     https://doi.org/10.17239/jowr-2014.05.03.1 [Google Scholar]
  15. Mitchell, Kim M.
    (2018) Constructing Writing Practices in Nursing. The Journal of Nursing Education, (), –. 10.3928/01484834‑20180618‑04
     https://doi.org/10.3928/01484834-20180618-04 [Google Scholar]
  16. Mitchell, Kim M., McMillan, Diana E., Lobchuk, Michelle M., Nickel, Nathan C., Rabbani, Rasheda, & Li, Johnson
    (2021) Development and validation of the Situated Academic Writing Self-Efficacy Scale (SAWSES). Assessing writing, , . 10.1016/j.asw.2021.100524
     https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asw.2021.100524 [Google Scholar]
  17. Motulsky, Harvey
    (2014) Intuitive biostatistics: a nonmathematical guide to statistical thinking (3rd ed.). New York: Oxford University Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  18. Möller, R., & Shoshan, M.
    (2019) Does reality meet expectations? An analysis of medical students’ expectations and perceived learning during mandatory research projects. BMC Med Educ, (), . 10.1186/s12909‑019‑1526‑x
     https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-019-1526-x [Google Scholar]
  19. Möller, R., Wallberg, A., & Shoshan, M.
    (2021) Faculty perceptions of factors that indicate successful educational outcomes of medical students’ research projects: a focus group study. BMC Med Educ, (), . 10.1186/s12909‑021‑02954‑8
     https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-021-02954-8 [Google Scholar]
  20. Nulty, Duncan D.
    (2008) The adequacy of response rates to online and paper surveys: what can be done?Assessment and evaluation in higher education, (), –. 10.1080/02602930701293231
     https://doi.org/10.1080/02602930701293231 [Google Scholar]
  21. Pajares, Frank
    (2003) Self-efficacy Beliefs, Motivation, and Achievement in Writing: A Review of the Literature. Reading &Writing Quarterly, (), –. 10.1080/10573560308222
     https://doi.org/10.1080/10573560308222 [Google Scholar]
  22. Pajares, Frank, Hartley, James, & Valiante, Giovanni
    (2001) Response Format in Writing Self-Efficacy Assessment: Greater Discrimination Increases Prediction. Measurement and Evaluation in Counselling and Development, (), –. 10.1080/07481756.2001.12069012
     https://doi.org/10.1080/07481756.2001.12069012 [Google Scholar]
  23. Palmquist, Michael, & Young, Richard
    (1992) The Notion of Giftedness and Student Expectations about Writing. Written communication, (), –. 10.1177/0741088392009001004
     https://doi.org/10.1177/0741088392009001004 [Google Scholar]
  24. Pye, E.
    (2018) Writing in Medical Education: A Student Perspective. [Master’s thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland]. St. John’s. Newfoundland and Labrador. https://research.library.mun.ca/13579/
     [Google Scholar]
  25. Sanders-Reio, Joanne
    (2010) Investigation of the relations between domain -specific beliefs about writing, writing self-efficacy, writing apprehension, and writing performance in undergraduates. (PhD Thesis), University of Maryland, Maryland: ProQuest Dissertations Publishing. Retrieved fromhttps://www.proquest.com/docview/722953669/A9367B41CC1F4F2CPQ/2?accountid=11162&sourcetype=Dissertations%20&%20Theses
  26. Swedish Council for Higher Education. Antagningsstatistik Läkarprogrammet
    Swedish Council for Higher Education. Antagningsstatistik Läkarprogrammet (2021) https://www.uhr.se/studier-och-antagning/antagningsstatistik/detaljsida/?utbildningId=AFFE5FCF1CF4A1093D0FCBC20F7F1B81&astasearchperiod=HT18&astasearchfor=Läkarprogrammet&astasearchcategory=Utbildning
  27. Swedish Law SFS 1993:100
    Swedish Law SFS 1993:100. The Higher Education Ordinance. Högskoleförordningen, Appendix 2:4. https://www.riksdagen.se/sv/dokument-och-lagar/dokument/svensk-forfattningssamling/hogskoleforordning-1993100_sfs-1993-100/
  28. Swedish Law SFS 2003:460. The Ethical Review Act. Lagen om etikprövning av forskning som avser människor
    Swedish Law SFS 2003:460. The Ethical Review Act. Lagen om etikprövning av forskning som avser människor (2003) https://www.riksdagen.se/sv/dokument-och-lagar/dokument/svensk-forfattningssamling/lag-2003460-om-etikprovning-av-forskning-som_sfs-2003-460/
  29. Talsma, Kate, Schüz, Benjamin, & Norris, Kimberley
    (2019) Miscalibration of self-efficacy and academic performance: Self-efficacy ≠ self-fulfilling prophecy. Learning and individual differences, , –. 10.1016/j.lindif.2018.11.002
     https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lindif.2018.11.002 [Google Scholar]
/content/journals/10.1075/pl.24016.han
Loading
Swedish medical students’ writing self-efficacy and writing beliefs regarding undergraduate thesis writing
John Benjamins ; https://doi.org/10.1075/pl.24016.han
/content/journals/10.1075/pl.24016.han
/content/journals/10.1075/pl.24016.han
Loading

Data & Media loading...

  • Article Type: Research Article
Keywords: scientific writing ; medical student ; writing self-efficacy ; undergraduate/master thesis ; writing beliefs

Most Cited

This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was successful
Invalid data
An Error Occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error