International students’ burnout and self-efficacy profiles and their relation to writing conceptions

Abstract

International students are at risk of burnout during their studies and face challenges in their writing. This study explores the burnout and self-efficacy profiles of international students and how these profiles differ in writing conceptions. Participants were 162 international students at a research-intensive Finnish university. They completed the HowULearn Questionnaire and the Writing Process Questionnaire. Latent profile analysis identified three profiles combining students’ burnout and self-efficacy: high burned-out students (16.0%), moderate burned-out students (45.1%), and low burned-out students with high self-efficacy (38.9%). The profile membership was not significantly related to students’ demographic, linguistic, or writing-related characteristics. The results showed that the combination of a lower level of study-related burnout and relatively higher self-efficacy led to fewer blocks, less procrastination and perfectionism, and more positive conceptions of knowledge transforming and productivity in writing. Overall, the study indicated that study-related burnout and self-efficacy contributes to understanding international students’ writing processes.