Cognitive apprenticeship and writing-related State anxiety: Metacognitive and self-regulatory support in argumentative writing

Abstract

This paper presents findings from a broader educational study investigating the implementation and outcomes of an instructional intervention based on the Cognitive Apprenticeship model. The intervention was designed to support the development of students’ metacognitive and self-regulatory skills through written discourse instruction in General Upper Secondary Education. The study adopted a quasi-experimental action research design and involved an integrated instructional intervention implemented across all stages of written discourse production. The intervention aimed to foster students’ metacognitive and self-regulatory skills by providing a structured and supportive framework for approaching argumentative writing. It was implemented over one school year as part of the Greek Language course. Two first-year upper secondary school classes formed the Experimental Group, while a third class served as the Control Group. Within this broader research framework, the present paper examines the affective dimension of writing by investigating whether the development of students’ metacognitive and self-regulatory skills through the Cognitive Apprenticeship intervention was associated with reduced writing-related state anxiety before engaging in writing tasks and a more supportive emotional experience during the writing process. The findings revealed a statistically significant within-group reduction in writing-related state anxiety among students in the Experimental Group, with a moderate effect size. They suggest that the systematic development of metacognitive and self-regulatory skills provided students with a clearer, more structured, and more manageable framework for approaching argumentative writing. Furthermore, the sociocognitive framework of the Cognitive Apprenticeship model appeared to promote dialogue, collaboration, and a more positive emotional experience throughout the writing process.