Securing the right skills: A longitudinal assessment of college students’ writing and public speaking self-efficacy

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Abstract: This research investigated the developmental patterns of students’ writing and public-speaking self-efficacy throughout their experience in the basic communication course (BCC). Questions were posed regarding (a) whether students grew in their reported writing and public speaking self-efficacy over two semesters, (b) whether growth differed based on biological sex, and (c) whether affinity and apprehension (as sources of performance self-efficacy) played a role in student growth. Two multilevel models revealed significant differences in students’ initial status and rate of growth for each outcome. Specifically, sex, affinity, and apprehension influenced students’ starting positions in the course, while only apprehension had a significant impact on growth. Analyses also revealed a contextual effect of the winter break on growth patterns. The results paint an important picture of the factors influencing students’ personal development in the BCC, while also highlighting the use of multilevel modeling as a potential and relevant tool for contextualizing communicative development over time.