Influencing language mindsets and English writing competence through an EAP program: A longitudinal study with latent transition analysis

Abstract

This study examined changes in undergraduate students’ language mindsets and academic writing competence as a result of taking a one-semester English for academic purposes (EAP) writing course with a pre–post intervention on mindset. A total of 319 students participated in the study and completed a 10-week EAP course. The participants were administered the mindset questionnaire and the writing test at two different time-points. The results showed that the participants’ level in one component of growth language mindset (general language intelligence beliefs), and scores on the writing test increased significantly. The results of the latent profile analysis revealed three distinctive profiles among the participants at both time-points: Growth profile, Mixed profile, and Fixed profile. The Growth and Mixed profiles were found to perform significantly better than the Fixed profile on the writing tests. Finally, the result of a latent transition analysis revealed that dynamic shifts in the profile membership could occur through the mindset intervention.