This study was aimed at analysing the relation between individual and situational interest (Renninger, Hidi, & Krapp, 1992), gender and self-efficacy in writing personal accounts.

Interest is a motivational variable that has a positive effect on cognitive performance (Hidi, Renninger, & Krapp, 2004). In narrative writing, interest in a topic facilitates the planning and transcription processes, and helps the writer select relevant information (Benton, Corkill, Sharp, Downey, & Khramtsova, 1995). Interest, however, does not necessarily improve text quality, which in both narrative and expository texts seems to depend on prior topic knowledge (Boscolo & Mason, 2000; Hidi & McLaren, 1990). Interest also seems to influence the writing of personal accounts (Boscolo & Gelati, 2003). From a study in which elementary and middle school students were involved in an interesting event for both genders, it emerged that girls wrote longer, more cohesive and correct texts. However, regardless of gender, students focused on the more interesting event and stressed them using specific evaluation strategies (Labov, 1972).

Self-efficacy seems to be related to interest in a mutual relation: interesting activities motivate working harder and this may increase self-efficacy (Hidi & Boscolo, 2006). 

Few studies have analysed gender differences in writing performance and results are still controversial. Some studies have found that girls of different grade levels write better, more correct and coherent texts than boys (Applebee, 1990; Engelhard, Walker, Gordon, & Gabrielson, 1994; Gabrielson, Gordon, & Engelhard, 1995; Maki, Voeten, Vauras, & Poskiparta, 2001). However, in other studies no significant differences emerged between boys’ and girls’ writing performances (Cameron, Lee, Webster, Munro, Hunt, & Linton, 1995; Yarborough e Johnson, 1989). Although some studies did not find gender-related differences in writing self-efficacy for elementary and middle school students, girls tend to consider themselves to be better writers than boys (Pajares, Johnson, & Miller, 1999; Pajares & Valiante, 1999).

In order to analyse the relation between individual and situational interest, gender and self-efficacy in the production of personal accounts, we analysed how an experience, specifically interesting for girls, and another, specifically interesting for boys, would influence self-efficacy, interest in writing personal accounts (writing about an event experienced) and text quality. In the present study, we distinguish individual interest (e.g., interest in a topic, such as soccer or dance), from situational interest (interest in an event or activity, such as the soccer match), from interest in writing personal accounts.

The study is aimed at answering the following questions:

1 Does individual and situational interest influence interest in writing a personal account? Are there any gender-related differences?

2 Does individual and situational interest influence self-efficacy?

3 Does individual and situational interest influence the quality of production? Are there gender-related differences?

We hypothesized that individual and situational interest would positively affect self-efficacy and, independently of gender, interest in writing activity. We also expected that, independently of gender, participants would write better texts about the event which was more interesting for them.

 

Method

Two experiences, one more interesting for girls and the other more interesting for boys, were selected. A questionnaire was administered to 114 participants: 39 3^rd graders (M = 24, F = 15), 40 5^th graders (M = 20, F = 20) and 35 7^th graders (M = 18, F = 17). It emerged that boys found soccer to be the more interesting topic and the one on which they were interested in writing. Girls, on the other hand found dance to be more interesting and the topic on which they were most interested in writing.

 

One hundred and ninety-two Italian students: 72 3^rd graders (M = 33, F = 39), 59 5^th graders (M = 32, F = 27) and 61 7^th graders (M = 32, F = 29) participated in the study.

 

Two events, one about soccer and the other about dance were arranged in the schools. All students participated in both experiences (soccer and dance) and carried out all the related activities.

 

§               individual interest questionnaire

§               written personal account

 

Experiences (soccer/dance):

§               each experience included a preparation phase (4 hours) and a realization phase (2 hours).

 

§               self-efficacy questionnaire

§               written account of soccer and dance experiences

§               situational interest questionnaire

 

Regardless of gender, an increase in interest in writing personal accounts was observed when students wrote a text on the topic and experience which was for them more interesting. Interest in writing was related to both interest in the topic (individual interest) and, in particular, to interest in the experienced event (situational interest).

 

No main effect of gender was found. Individual and situational interest seemed to influence only 5^th graders’ writing self-efficacy: boys and girls feel more competent when writing a text on the experience which they find more interesting.

 

Regardless of gender, individual and situational interest had positive effects on text quality: boys and girls wrote better texts when they narrated the experiences which were more interesting to them, soccer and dance, respectively.