The Impact of Writing Approaches, Self-Efficacy, Educational Context, and GPA on the Quality of MA Theses

The task of producing a master’s thesis is both formidable and crucial, posing challenges to postgraduate students. Consequently, many encounter obstacles in achieving successful completion, resulting in substandard work. A thorough examination of the literature pertaining to the factors influencing the production of high-quality master’s theses clearly reveals a gap in exploration. This study aims to address this gap by investigating the influence of three distinct writing approaches employed by master’s students, alongside their self-efficacy, educational context, and Grade Point Average (GPA), on the overall quality of the theses they produce. To this end, ۳۵ master’s degree candidates specializing in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) at the Islamic Azad University of Kerman were recruited, utilizing a mixed methods research design for data collection. The findings from a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews highlighted the significant impact of thesis writing approaches, self-efficacy, and the educational context on the quality of master’s theses. However, no correlation was observed between the students’ GPA and their thesis quality. The findings of this study can contribute to increasing stakeholders’ awareness towards developing and implementing procedures to enhance the skills of graduate students in relation to the quality of their thesis writing.

کلیدواژه ها:

Educational context ، Grade point average ، Self-efficacy ، Thesis quality ، Writing approaches