The issue of writing apprehension resulting in poorer writing performance has received a considerable critical attention across the globe. However, limited number of researches on writing apprehension in the context of Indonesia led to an insufficient information regarding the issue. The aim of this research is to investigate the condition of writing apprehension in Indonesia. The investigation starts by identifying the level and causes of writing apprehension. Finally, the researcher investigates the effect of writing apprehension on writing performance.
The research follows a case study design, with data being gathered via questionnaires, interview, and document analysis. The participants were undergraduate students who enrolled in Article Writing course in one of the universities in Indonesia. The level of writing apprehension was measured using Cheng’s (2004) questionnaire named Second Language Writing Anxiety Inventory (SLWAI). The causes of writing apprehension were analyzed using a questionnaire from Razaei and Jafari (2014) named Causes of Second Language Writing Anxiety Inventory (CSLWAI) followed by an interview to validate and further explain the results from CSLWAI. Finally, the effect of writing apprehension on writing performance was investigated using document analysis on students’ exam report followed by an interview where students were asked to reflect on themselves and explain how writing apprehension affected their writing performance.
The study found that undergraduate students were experiencing a moderate level of writing apprehension. Pressure for perfect work and linguistic problems were found to be the two major causes of writing apprehension. In terms of writing performance, the results showed that writing apprehension affected students’ minds and affection which consequently resulted in poorer performance. Students become flustered which results in the use of generic words and incorrect grammar. Some stated that their minds are going blank, having a bad mood, and even fearing writing activity. Notably, two students confessed that they perceive writing apprehension as beneficial in improving their writing performance. This combination of findings provides some support for lecturers and policy makers in finding the strategies to cope with writing apprehension.

Keywords: Writing Apprehension, Writing Performance, Article Writing