Shut Up & Write!® builds writing self-efficacy and self-regulation in early-career researchers

Chelsea N Proulx; Doris M Rubio; Marie K Norman; Colleen A Mayowski

doi:10.1017/cts.2023.568

Shut Up & Write!® builds writing self-efficacy and self-regulation in early-career researchers

J Clin Transl Sci. 2023 May 26;7(1):e141. doi: 10.1017/cts.2023.568. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Chelsea N Proulx¹, Doris M Rubio¹, Marie K Norman¹, Colleen A Mayowski¹

Affiliation

¹ Institute for Clinical Research Education, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.

Abstract

Introduction: High writing self-efficacy and self-regulation are tied to publication and grant submission. Writers with these attributes are more productive. We investigated whether participating in a Shut Up & Write!®-style intervention (SUAW) would produce statistically significant gains in writing self-efficacy and self-regulation when comparing pre-post-participation surveys.

Methods: Forty-seven medical students, TL1/KL2, and early-career faculty from across the USA expressed interest in participating, with 37 completing the pre-survey. We conducted (on Zoom) a 12-week SUAW series and measured the effect using a pre-post survey adapted from the Writer Self-Perception Scale. Paired t-tests (α = 0.05) were conducted on three subscales to test for significant differences between pre- and post-test means. The subscales reflected writing attitudes, writing strategies, and avoiding writing distractions. Subscales showed acceptable internal consistency with Cronbach's alphas of 0.80, 0.71, and 0.72, respectively.

Results: Twenty-seven participants attended at least one session. Of these, 81% presented as female, and 60% were from NIH-defined Underrepresented Backgrounds and/or were from Minority-Serving Institutions. Twenty-four completed both the pre- and post-surveys. Sixty percent previously participated in an activity similar to SUAW. We found significant improvements in writing attitudes (p = 0.020) and writing strategies (p = 0.041) for those who previously participated. For those who had not previously participated, we found improved writing strategies (p = 0.002). Eighty percent were very satisfied/satisfied with SUAW.

Discussion: Researchers have tied writing self-efficacy and self-regulation to timely publication and grant submission. We found significant gains in self-efficacy and self-regulation, suggesting that participation in a SUAW-style intervention may increase writing productivity.

Keywords: Self-efficacy; early-career researchers; self-regulation; writing instruction; writing productivity.