Exploring the relationship between writing motivation and writing test scores among English majors at a Vietnamese public university

Abstract

It is generally considered that writing is the most difficult skill of all in the process of learning English as a Foreign Language (EFL), due to its high level of complexity and the cognitive burden it brings. However, the interplay of psychological factors in language education has drawn much attention, yet the link between writing motivation and writing achievement in Vietnamese higher education has not been investigated sufficiently. The present research focused on the connection between writing motivation and writing test scores among 238 second-year English majors at a Vietnamese public university employing a quantitative correlational approach. The Academic Writing Motivation Questionnaire was administered, which consisted of five dimensions such as enjoyment, self-efficacy, instrumentality, recognition, effort and a writing test for data collection. The analysis revealed that the writing motivation of the overall group was moderate, with female students being slightly more intrinsically motivated than their male counterparts. Besides, a statistically significant positive correlation was detected between writing motivation and writing test performance, thus underscoring the influence of affective factors in EFL academic writing.