摘 要

1. Introduction 3

1.1 Need for the study 4

1.2 Research purpose 5

2. Literature Review 6

2.1 Theoretical foundations 6

2.2 Related empirical studies 7

2.2.1 Related empirical studies of automated writing evaluation system 7

2.2.2 Related empirical studies of writing self-efficacy 7

2.2.3 Related empirical studies of writing motivation 8

3. Methodology 9

3.1 Research questions 9

3.2 Research subjects 9

3.3 Questionnaires 9

3.4 Writing tasks 11

3.5 Interview 11

3.6 Data collection 11

4. Results and Discussion 13

4.1 Results 13

4.1.1 Comparison of writing self-efficacy 13

4.1.2 Comparison of writing motivation 15

4.1.3. Results of writing performance in the pre-test and post-test 17

4.1.4. Results of interview 20

4.2 Discussion 22

4.2.1 Difference of writing self-efficacy 22

4.2.2 Difference of writing motivation 23

4.2.3 Difference of writing performance 23

5. Conclusion 24

5.1 Major findings of the study 24

5.2 Limitations and suggestions for future research 24

References 26

Acknowledgments 29

Appendix I English writing self-efficacy questionnaire 30

Appendix II English writing motivation questionnaire 33

Abstract

As an important language output, writing accounts for the largest proportion of TEM-4. However, judging from the statistical result of the previous TEM-4, the researchers have found that writing scores are generally unsatisfactory. English writing is a hard task. For its heavy workload, teachers are so exhausted that they can not provide timely feedback. These problems urgently need to be resolved.

Based on automated writing evaluation system, a five-week English writing teaching experiment was carried out for 51 sophomores majoring in English from two intact classes (an experimental group and a control group) in Nanjing Tech University. Students in the experimental group wrote on automated writing evaluation system and got feedback from it, while students in the control group wrote without any feedback. Research tools include questionnaires, writing tests and interviews. However, no significant difference was found between the two groups in their writing performance, writing self-efficacy or writing motivation. It is found that writing motivation of the experimental group (M=86.50) is lower than that of the control group (M=88.85), while writing self-efficacy (M=127.71) and writing performance (M=86.42) of the experimental group are both higher than those of the control group.

This study finds that the students who use automated writing evaluation system have no marked difference from the students who practice writing on paper in writing self-efficacy, writing motivation and writing performance. The author believes that the possible reasons are too few subjects, too short experimental period, and insufficient motivation of the experimental group.

Keywords: self-efficacy; English writing; motivation; automated writing evaluation system

中文摘要

作为一种重要的语言输出，写作在TEM-4中占最大比例。然而，从先前TEM-4的统计结果来看，写作分数通常不令人满意。英语写作是一项艰巨的任务，批改量大，教师精力不足，反馈不够及时。这些问题迫切需要解决。随着技术的发展，自动评分系统问世。

基于“批改网”的使用，本研究以南京工业大学英语专业两个自然班51名大二学生作为研究对象，展开为期5周的英语写作教学实验。两个班级分别为实验组和对照组，实验组的作文采用“批改网”反馈，对照组的作文则无相应批改。研究工具包括问卷调查，写作测试和访谈。结果显示，两个组写作水平、写作自我效能感和写作动机均没有显著差异（pgt;0.05）。除了写作动机实验组(M=86.50)低于对照组(M=88.86)以外，自我效能感（实验组M=127.71，对照组M=125.22）和写作水平（实验组M=86.42，对照组M=85.26）方面实验组均高于对照组。

本研究发现，使用批改网的学生在写作自我效能感，写作动机和写作水平上与未使用批改网的学生没有显著差异。笔者分析可能的原因是研究对象太少、实验时间过短以及实验组动机不强。

关键词：自我效能感 英语写作 写作动机 自动评分系统

1. Introduction

As a significant language output, writing accounts for the largest proportion of TEM-4, which covers 25% of the total exam points. Judging from the statistical result of the previous TEM-4, the writing scores are generally unsatisfactory. Even for a famous school like Fudan University, the scores of the candidates are relatively low. This illustrates that English major students’ English writing level has yet to be further improved [1]. Zheng Xiaoxia (2006) found that the weakness of students’ writing included a large number of grammatical errors, lack of diversion in sentence patterns, being short of consistency, unclear main idea and loss of logic.

Annett (1969) proposed that timely and effective feedback played an important role in improving writing level [2]. In process approach, feedback can efficiently help to improve the quality of students writing because students can make several revisions with the guidance of feedback. However, there is no sufficient time for English major students to practice writing and they cannot get immediate feedback. The current situation in China is that a writing teacher teaches several writing classes. It is difficult to respond in time and effectively. The utilization of automated writing evaluation system may solve the present problem. Modern network technology provides new platform called automated writing evaluation system for improve the situation. Automated writing evaluation system make up for the teacher’s limited energy that giving timely revision and feedback for students to modify their English composition. Students can revise their English composition in accordance with the feedback given by automated writing evaluation for several times.

According to College English Curriculum Requirements, English teaching in university should adopt a novel teaching pattern based on modern information technology especially network technique [3]. In previous studies, automated writing evaluation system can provide students with immediate feedback, individual report of language mistakes, which contains not only the accuracy of the use of word, but also the analysis of structure and content.

Therefore, it is urgent to seek for a novel and modern solution to improve situation of English major students’ writing. In this thesis, the author would explore how automated writing evaluation system performs in English writing.

1.1 Need for the study

Writing is both a cognitive and an affective activity. It is influenced by many factors, including writing anxiety, motivation, belief and attitude [4]. More scholars focused on emotional domain in writing process gradually, some of them found student’s writing motivation played a vital role in their writing and had a positive impact on revising their compositions. Motivation as a psychology concept prompts people to dedicate to a long and bland L2 learning process [5]. Motivation not only intrigue the students’ initiative of learning English, but also helps students overcome difficulties on the process of achieving the purpose of learning.

Apart from writing motivation, there is another factor influencing English writing-----self-efficacy. The notion of writing self-efficacy is a branch of self- efficacy proposed by Bandura [6]. According to Bandura (1993), it is a common belief for students that self-efficacy can regulate their learning, master academic activity and determine their aspirations, level of motivation and academic accomplishments [7]. In some degree, self-efficacy can predict people’s performance in some given task. McCarthy, Meier amp; Rinderer (1985) defined self-evaluation as self-efficacy and it was closely related to writing performance, and they found different self-efficacy could result in different level of writing quality, students with high writing self-efficacy were regarded as excellent writers who have a less writing anxiety [8]. Besides they can write long essay and get high score in limited time. [8]. In a word, higher writing self-efficacy indicates higher level of writing. Hence, the function of writing self-efficacy cannot be ignored.

In the past several decades, a lot of researchers have been carried out to investigate the effect of writing motivation or writing self-efficacy on writing performance, there are fewer researchers explore the combined effect of the three factors. Automated writing evaluation system as a newly-developing thing for English teaching is controversial and affective factors like writing motivation and self-efficacy in English writing has been paid close attention in several years, it is necessary to explore their relationship and solve the problem of English teaching.

1.2 Research purpose

In this study, the author will probe into how English major’s writing motivation and writing self-efficacy will affect their writing performance based on automated writing evaluation system.