Kaitlin Quigley '22 Receives Research Funding from the Center for the Humanities

Kaitlin Quigley, the 2021-22 Writing Center Research Fellow, has recently received funding for her project, “A Longitudinal Approach to Undergraduate Writers and the Impact of Self-Efficacy,” from the Center for the Humanities. The grant will fund stipends for the participants of the study, which aims to be underway by mid-October.

“It is rare for a student to get an award from the Center for the Humanities—those grants are typically reserved for faculty researchers,” said Dr. Craig Medvecky, advisor of Kaitlin’s research. “However, the reviewers were so impressed with Kaitlin’s work that they not only funded her proposal but also have begun thinking of ways to support more undergraduate researchers.”

Kaitlin’s study analyzes the influence of writing self-efficacy and its impact on an undergraduate student’s proven writing abilities. This longitudinal research hopes to inform the services and support of the Loyola Writing Center, in addition to other departments at the university, all of whom can benefit from deeper research into the disconnect between perceived and proven writing ability.

“Quantitative and qualitative measures rarely intersect in previous analyses of writing self-efficacy, especially in an undergraduate setting,” said Kaitlin. “I’m interested in analyzing students’ perceptions of their own writing capabilities, how those perceptions evolve during four years of college, and the impact of self-efficacy on students’ perceptions of themselves as writers. I’m thrilled that the Center for the Humanities finds my research inquiries worthy of funding, and I’m eager to get started.”

Kaitlin manages a blog with her research proposal and regular updates about her study.