Assessing self-regulated writing strategies, self-efficacy, task complexity, and performance in English academic writing

The present study focused on the assessment of how task complexity and learner variables (English proficiency level, self-regulated writing strategies, and writing self-efficacy belief) influence English academic writing for students in a foreign language context. The participants were 270 students from a medium-sized university in China. All participants completed measures on self-regulated writing strategies, self-efficacy, and an academic writing test. Guided research questions aimed to explore the extent to which task complexity and English proficiency level influenced writing performance along with how learners’ self-efficacy and self-regulated writing strategies mediated the role of task complexity in academic writing performance. Structural equation modelling results showed that task complexity and English proficiency level influenced learners’ writing performance. Self-efficacy beliefs and the use of self-regulated writing strategies mediated the role of task complexity on academic writing performance. Implications related to the assessment of task complexity, self-regulated writing strategies, self-efficacy, and academic writing were discussed. •Task complexity influences learners’ academic writing performance.•English proficiency level impacts learners’ academic writing performance writing.•Self-regulation and self-efficacy mediate the role of task complexity in academic writing performance.