Habits of Mind and Their Effects on Developing English Prospective Teachers’ Writing Skills and Self-Efficacy

Abstract

The present study aimed at investigating the effectiveness of a training program based on habits of mind in developing writing skills and enhancing self- efficacy of fourth year, English prospective teachers at Women’s College, Ain Shams University. The problem of inadequate writing skills and low self- efficacy of the participants of the study were documented through a pilot study (a writing test and a self- efficacy scale). Habits of mind through reviewing literature and related studies have proved to be effective, recent, and intelligent actions that can be used by students in their writing. Forty seven fourth year, prospective teachers at Women’s College, Ain Shams University followed a training program based on habits of mind for eight weeks, three hours, once a week to develop their writing skills and enhance their self- efficacy. A test& scale of habits of mind, a writing test and a self- efficacy scale were administered to the study participants before and after the treatment. The students’ performance on the writing post-test revealed that they made tangible progress in their writing skills. The results of the study revealed that habits of mind were of great importance for the participants of the study as the researcher have noticed through teaching to these students that they were impulsive, acting without thinking, interrupting each other, laughing at others and putting themselves down. Implementing the training program based on habits of mind to these students was beneficial to them while they were writing as they were: revising their writing, searching for accuracy; listening to each other’s opinion and view point; communicating with clear, logical and precise language; thinking together and managing impulsivity before writing. The results of the study also showed that students’ self- efficacy enhanced after the implementation of the training program as it help build their self- efficacy through breaking writing tasks down into realistic and manageable goals that help ensure success. Hence, the positive findings of the study proved the effectiveness of the training program based on habits of mind in developing English prospective teacher’s writing skills as well as enhancing their self- efficacy. Keywords: habits of mind; writing skills; self- efficacy.