INVESTIGATING WRITING ANXIETY AMONG INDONESIAN PRE-SERVICETEACHERS POST THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Abstract

This research aimed to investigate writing anxiety among Pre-service teachers in the advanced writing class at the English Education Department of the Dharma Acarya, I Gusti Bagus Sugriwa Denpasar State Hindu University. The study explored the types of writing anxiety experienced by participants, the underlying reasons for this anxiety, and the learning strategies employed to cope with it. A mixed-method approach was used, incorporating quantitative data from surveys and qualitative data from interviews. The findings revealed that Pre-service teachers experienced cognitive anxiety, somatic anxiety, and avoidance behaviour while engaging in writing tasks. Various underlying reasons for writing anxiety were identified, including fear of negative evaluation, making mistakes, lack of experience, and the pressure of high-stakes evaluative situations. Participants also reported a range of learning strategies to cope with writing anxiety, including cognitive-behavioural techniques, active coping mechanisms, meditation, utilizing digital resources, and building a supportive environment through instructor and peer support. To cope with writing anxiety among Pre-service teachers, some suggestions are proposed, such as incorporating writing anxiety awareness and management into the curriculum, providing writing support and guidance, implementing gradual exposure and practice, fostering peer collaboration and support, utilizing technology and digital writing aids, offering resources for self-study, emphasizing the writing process over the final product, and promoting a growth mindset.