Writing Competence: Implications to the Communication Students’ Academic Performance

Writing is considered an essential skill that students should possess for them to succeed academically; thus, this descriptive-correlational study is relevant as it sought to assess the purposively sampled B.A. Communication students’ writing competence with their academic performance. Conducted during Academic Year 2020-2021 at Liceo de Cagayan University, the study determined the following: (1) the students’ level of writing competence in terms of content, organization, style, and mechanics and grammar; (2) the students’ level of academic performance in terms of their General Weighted Average during the last semester attended; and (3) any significant relationship between the students’ writing competence and academic performance. The study used a researcher-made essay test that was content validated. English teachers rated the students’ essays using a rubric with a 5-point rating scale. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, specifically the mean and Product Moment Correlation Coefficient. As revealed in the study, the students had good writing competence and very good academic performance. The relationship test revealed that the students’ writing competence was not significantly associated with their academic performance. In conclusion, writing competence may not be the only factor affecting the students’ academic performance. Nonetheless, mindful of the importance of writing, the researchers recommended that teachers give essay tests a significant weight in assessing students’ academic performance to encourage students to develop their writing skills.

Keywords: Writing competence, writing skill, academic performance, school performance, essay writing