The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on High School Students' Writing Anxiety in Continuation Writing

Meidong Zhang

doi:10.54691/gefrep13

Authors

Meidong Zhang

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54691/gefrep13

Keywords:

Artificial Intelligence; Continuation Writing; Writing Anxiety; Human-AI Collaboration; Pedagogical Pathways.

Abstract

Artificial intelligence is reshaping English writing instruction, offering new possibilities for alleviating senior high school students’ anxiety in continuation writing tasks. Grounded in control-value and sociocultural theories, this study positions AI as a "cognitive partner." Through in-depth interviews with 12 students, the research reveals that AI mitigates anxiety by enhancing perceived control via three pathways: cognitive load sharing, immediate feedback regulation, and positive emotion activation. However, AI use may also trigger new forms of anxiety, including dependence, evaluation, and value anxiety. Students expect clear rules, personalized support, and autonomy preservation. Accordingly, the study proposes four pedagogical pathways for human-AI collaboration: teacher role transformation, boundary setting, differentiated intervention, and value clarification. It emphasizes that AI is not a substitute for teachers but a cognitive partner, and that the key to alleviating anxiety lies not in the technology itself, but in the mode of human-technology collaboration.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

[1] Cheng, Y. S. (2004). A measure of second language writing anxiety: Scale development and preliminary validation. Journal of Second Language Writing, 13(4), 313–335.

[2] Daly, J. A., & Miller, M. D. (1975). The empirical development of an instrument to measure writing apprehension. Research in the Teaching of English, 9(3), 242–249.

[3] Davis, F. D. (1989). Perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and user acceptance of information technology. MIS Quarterly, 13(3), 319–340.

[4] Flower, L., & Hayes, J. R. (1981). A cognitive process theory of writing. College Composition and Communication, 32(4), 365–387.

[5] Goetz, T., Frenzel, A. C., Pekrun, R., & Hall, N. C. (2016). The domain specificity of academic emotional experiences. The Journal of Experimental Education, 75(1), 5–29.

[6] Lantolf, J. P., & Thorne, S. L. (2006). Sociocultural theory and the genesis of second language development. Oxford University Press.

[7] Pekrun, R. (2006). The control-value theory of achievement emotions: Assumptions, corollaries, and implications for educational research and practice. Educational Psychology Review, 18(4), 315–341.

[8] Pekrun, R., & Perry, R. P. (2014). Control-value theory of achievement emotions. In R. Pekrun & L. Linnenbrink-Garcia (Eds.), International handbook of emotions in education (pp. 120–141). Routledge.

[9] Salomon, G. (Ed.). (1993). Distributed cognitions: Psychological and educational considerations. Cambridge University Press.

[10] Sabti, A. A., Rashid, S. M., Nimehchisalem, V., & Darmi, R. (2019). The impact of writing anxiety, writing achievement motivation, and writing self-efficacy on writing performance: A correlational study of Iraqi tertiary EFL learners. SAGE Open, 9(4), 1–13.

[11] Swain, M. (2006). Languaging, agency and collaboration in advanced language proficiency. In H. Byrnes (Ed.), Advanced language learning: The contribution of Halliday and Vygotsky (pp. 95–108). Continuum.

[12] Tsiriotakis, I. K., Vassilaki, E., Spantidakis, I., & Stavrou, N. A. M. (2017). The examination of the effects of writing strategy-based procedural facilitative environments on students' English foreign language writing anxiety levels. Frontiers in Psychology, 7, 2074.

[13] Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Harvard University Press.

[14] Wertsch, J. V. (2007). Mediation. In H. Daniels, M. Cole, & J. V. Wertsch (Eds.), The Cambridge companion to Vygotsky (pp. 178–192). Cambridge University Press.

[15] Wood, D., Bruner, J. S., & Ross, G. (1976). The role of tutoring in problem solving. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 17(2), 89–100.

[16] Woodrow, L. (2011). Writing anxiety: A case study of students in English medium higher education. Journal of Second Language Writing, 20(3), 202–216.

[17] Zhang, X. (2019). Exploring the relationship between writing anxiety and writing strategies among Chinese high school students. Chinese Journal of Applied Linguistics, 42(3), 345–362.

[18] Guo Yan, & Qin Xiaoqing. (2010). A Report on the Test of Foreign Language Writing Anxiety among Chinese Non-English Major College Students and Its Implications for Writing Instruction. Foreign Language World, (02), 54-62+82.

[19] Li Hang. (2015). The Quasi-causal Relationship between English Writing Anxiety and Writing Performance among College Students: Evidence from a Longitudinal Study. Foreign Language World, (03), 68-75.

[20] Wang Chuming. (2012). Continuation Task: An Effective Method to Improve Foreign Language Learning Efficiency. Foreign Language World, (05), 2-7.

[21] Wang Chuming. (2015). Why Continuation Task Facilitates Learning Effectively. Foreign Language Teaching and Research, 47(05), 753-762+801.

[22] Wang Min, & Wang Chuming. (2014). The Alignment Effect in Continuation Tasks. Modern Foreign Languages, 37(04), 501-512+584.

[23] Wu Guifen. (2022). An Empirical Study on the Effect of Continuation Task on Senior High School Students' English Writing Anxiety and Writing Performance [Master's thesis]. Minnan Normal University.

[24] Xu Jinfen, & Zhao Nisha. (2025). The Predictive Role of Learners' Flow and Anti-flow Experiences in Continuation Tasks on L2 Writing Performance. Foreign Language Education Research Frontiers, 8(05), 75-87.

[25] Yan Li. (2022). A Feasibility Study on "Continuation Task" to Alleviate Foreign Language Learning Anxiety. English Plaza, (36), 91-95.