SOCIAL COGNITIVE PROCESS IN THE CONTEXT OF SELF-REGULATION AND WRITING SKILLS AMONG TERTIARY STUDENTS

Abstract

Filipino students experience difficulties in organizing and developing ideas, applying appropriate language, and sustaining motivation in writing tasks. These highlight the need to consider the internal processes and environmental factors that shape students’ learning behaviors. Thus, this study explored the role of social cognitive processes in the context of self-regulated learning, focusing on how students’ personal beliefs, behaviors, and learning environments contribute to their writing practices. Participants from Surigao Del Sur were randomly selected to participate in the survey, while selected students took part in one-on-one interviews. Pearson product-moment correlation was utilized to determine the relationship between self-regulation strategies and writing skills, while qualitative data were analyzed to understand students’ strategies and perceptions in managing writing tasks. The findings revealed that students had high levels of self-regulation based on method, social environment, ability, physical environment, motivation, and time management. However, they reported only moderate levels of writing skills in terms of attitude towards writing, composition, revision, and process awareness, but high level in feedback and collaboration. Qualitative analysis showed that students’ writing practices were shaped by the interaction of personal, behavioral, and environmental factors. Students engaged in cognitive regulation strategies such as planning, organizing ideas, monitoring progress, and revising written outputs. They also emphasized the influence of motivational and emotional factors, where confidence, persistence, and emotional regulation affected their willingness to engage in challenging writing tasks. However, there are still factors that were not identified in this study, which may further explain variations in students’ writing performance and self-regulatory behaviors.