Writing anxiety: an affective filter for essay writing instruction among ESL students in Ibadan

Abstract

This study which adopted the descriptive research design investigated the relationship between writing anxiety and students’ achievement in essay writing. SS2 Students from six schools in Ibadan Metropolis were used for the study. The instruments used were Essay Writing Achievement Test(r=0.81) and Writing Anxiety Questionnaire(r=0.86). Data collected were analysed using Pearson Product Moment Correlation at 0.05 level of significance. Findings revealed a negative significant relationship between writing anxiety and students’ achievement in essay writing. This implies that the higher the writing anxiety, the lower the achievement in essay writing. It was therefore recommended among others that the teaching and learning of essay writing in classroom should be devoid of unnecessary tension and stress so as not to heighten students’ anxiety in essay writing. Also, English language teachers should devise any means of reducing writing anxiety among students so they can write better essays.