The Effect of Task-Based Writing Instruction on Iranian Pre-Intermediate EFL Learners’ Self-Efficacy and Epistemic Beliefs

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by acoobca

Educational success depends on how classroom components interact with learners’ backgrounds, experiences, and immediate learning opportunities that shape attitudes and motivation. Writing is a demanding cognitive activity requiring control of academic, personal, psychological, linguistic, and cognitive factors. Task-based writing instruction is presented as an approach that improves writing through meaningful tasks, interaction, and real-world reflection, supporting social and emotional skill integration. This framework also emphasizes problem-solving strategies and collaborative classroom engagement to strengthen 21st-century writing capabilities.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages16

Reading Time40 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Educational foundations and learner motivation

Writing as a cognitive and social process

Task-based writing instruction and language learning

Educational Considerations | Volume 49 Number 1 | Article 5 | | --- | --- | | March 2023
The Effect of Task-Based Writing Instruction on Iranian Pre-Intermediate EFL Learners’ Self-Efficacy and Epistemic Beliefs
Nooshin Iravani
Kansas State University, [iravaninooshin@gmail.com](iravaninooshin@gmail.com)
Follow this and additional works at: [https://newprairiepress.org/edconsiderations](https://newprairiepress.org/edconsiderations)
Part of the Curriculum and Instruction Commons, and the Educational Methods Commons

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 License. | | Recommended Citation Iravani, Nooshin (2023) "The Effect of Task-Based Writing Instruction on Iranian Pre-Intermediate EFL Learners’ Self-Efficacy and Epistemic Beliefs," Educational Considerations: Vol. 49: No. 1. [https://doi.org/](https://doi.org/)[ ](https://doi.org/)10.4148/0146-9282.2354 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by New Prairie Press. It has been accepted for inclusion in Educational Considerations by an authorized administrator of New Prairie Press. For more information, please [contact](contact cads@k-state.edu)[ cads@k-state.edu](contact cads@k-state.edu). The Effect of Task-Based Writing Instruction on Iranian Pre-Intermediate EFL Learners’ Self-Efficacy and Epistemic Beliefs Nooshin Iravani Introduction Each educational environment has numerous components whose interactions facilitate learning. This milieu is influenced by various factors such as students’ backgrounds and experiences (Anene, 2005) . Learners’ immediate and tangible learning experience contributes to shaping learner attitudes and motivation, which eventually affects their long-term learning success (Taguchi et al., 2009) . Therefore, an educator must clarify the theoretical foundations beyond simple skill-building by helping students to build confidence to learn, perform, and actively engage in the classroom. Learning strategies can facilitate the learning process, helping the learners to become more self-directed and self-motivated (Oxford, 2017) . Writing has been considered an adventure through which writers’ perspectives develop (Shaffer et al., 2019); that is, writing involves more than a grammar-driven product emphasizing formal language used in lectures and texts. Indeed, writing is a challenging cognitive activity that requires the learner to control various factors, ranging from the writer’s academic background and personal interests to psychological, linguistic, and cognitive phenomena (Nunan, 1989) . Manchón (2011) makes a distinction between “learning to write” and “writing to learn.” This distinction highlights the function of writing given that writing is a tool to express the writer’s perspectives (learning to write); at the same time, the process of writing itself and engagement in diverse tasks and activities contribute to enhancing learning in diverse areas (writing to learn) . Traditional writing instruction (i.e., top-down and teacher-directed) does not meet learners’ needs and expectations, failing to effectively provide students with required writing skills. Therefore, it is the educator’s responsibility to provide writing instruction with creative methods and strategies to enable students to excel in higher education and professional careers. One of the most effective writing strategies and instruction approaches is task-based writing instruction. As Traga Philippakos, Munsell, and Robinson (2017) maintain, one of the ways writing products can be improved is to provide learners with input which can be given to language learners in many different modes. Task-based language teaching (TBLT) is one of the most effective approaches to language teaching. Teachers should provide students with task based activities which will motivate students to learn (Larsen-Freeman, 2000). According to Ellis (2003),

FAQs

Why is writing considered more than grammar-focused instruction in this article?

Writing is described as a challenging cognitive activity that involves controlling multiple factors beyond formal grammar. It also develops learners’ perspectives through engagement in writing processes and tasks.

What is the role of task-based writing instruction according to the article?

Task-based writing instruction is presented as a strategy to improve writing products and learning outcomes using meaningful input, interaction, and classroom tasks that resemble real-world purposes.

How does the article connect writing instruction with social and emotional skills?

It argues that focusing only on rules, grammar, and procedures neglects essential 21st-century writing skills. Task-based approaches integrate social and emotional components and help students acquire problem-solving and discourse-entry strategies.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by acoobca