Epistemological and writing beliefs in a first-year college writing course: Exploring shifts across a semester and relationships with argument quality
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58213/ell.v4i2.53Keywords:
Knowledge beliefs, task-specific beliefs, freshman comp position, persuasive writingAbstract
This study's purpose was to analyze 164 first-year students who had previously participated in another study. Attended a writing course on their rhetorical writing skills and epistemological viewpoints. At the start and conclusion of the semester, students had to complete epistemological and writing belief scales. The argumentative writing assignment that was due after the semester was also gathered. In a sixteen-week semester, correlational studies demonstrated a significant link between students' writing perspectives and their epistemological beliefs. The findings of the research revealed that the students' epistemic viewpoints on how quickly they may learn new information and the particular knowledge they already had experienced considerable change over the semester. In addition, during the semester, the student's perspectives on writing constantly evolved. as a final product, its role in resolving disputes changed considerably. The calibre of the rhetorical writing students creates intimately related to their beliefs about writing. The study examines the students' writing philosophies and contrasts them with their writing abilities.
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