Exploring students' responses to conceptual questions when engaged with planned writing experiences: A study with year 10 science students

Whereas there has been strong advocacy of the value of writing for learning in science, the role of student planning in this approach and the relationships between planning, writing, and learning have been underresearched. Our mixed method study aimed to address this issue by seeking to identify quantitative differences in learning outcomes between two groups of students exposed to varying degrees of planning activities in writing‐to‐learn experiences. We also identified differences in learning outcomes between a group of students with two writing experiences and a group with one writing experience. Results indicate that students with planned writing activities did not score significantly better on conceptual questions as a group than students who had delayed planning experiences. Students with two writing experiences as opposed to one also scored significantly better as a group on answering conceptual questions both immediately after the writing experience and on a test 8 weeks after the unit. The difference in writing treatment initially significantly affected males compared with females but this effect disappeared with further opportunities to write. Students' comments provide support for using nontraditional writing tasks as a means to assist learning, particularly when the focus is on an audience different from the teacher. In reporting on different learning outcomes for the two groups, we consider various implications including identification of some key conditions for student writing to serve learning. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 41: 186–210, 2004     

Writing as a learning tool: Testing the role of students’ writing strategies

The claim that writing facilitates students’ learning, although widely accepted, has little support from empirical research. A possible explanation for the lack of empirical evidence is that writing-to-learn research has disregarded that students use different writing strategies. The purpose of the present experimental study is to test whether it is effective to adapt writing-to-learn tasks to different writing strategies when teaching literature. A course “Learning to write argumentative texts about literature” was developed in two different versions: one adapted to a planning writing strategy, the other to a revising writing strategy. Participants were 113 tenth-grade high school students in the Netherlands. Our hypothesis is an adaptation hypothesis: we expect that the more a student will use a planning writing strategy, the more the student will profit from the lessons in the planning condition, and that the more a student uses a revising writing strategy, the more beneficial the revising condition will be. However, results show that for improving literary interpretation skill, a course adapted to the planning writing strategy is more effective for almost all students.     

Strategies for improving the written expression of primary children with poor writing skills

Abstract

This review examines the literature on strategies for improving the written expression of primary aged children with poor writing skills, from a sociocognitive perspective. The specific difficulties such children may experience are examined and research advocating a sociocognitive approach to help remediate their problems is described. Skill in writing depends partly on the author's ability to plan as well as manage the process of composition. Research is reviewed which describes some specific planning strategies such as the story web, the use of drama and drawings, and explicit instruction. Self‐regulation strategies are also described as a means of helping students internalise planning and reflective strategies. There is a clear consensus that teachers should also give specific instruction to children with poor writing skills.     

Investigating the thinking processes of eighth grade writers during the composition of a scientific laboratory report

This study examined the thinking processes used by 16 eighth grade science writers during laboratory report writing and explored the possibility that writing can contribute directly to science learning. Using Bereiter and Scardamalia's ( 1987 ) knowledge‐transformation model of writing as a theoretical lens, the study characterized specific content and rhetorical thinking engaged in by the students using think‐aloud protocols and qualitative data analysis methodologies. Thinking aloud was also related to the quality of the students' written products. Five of the 16 students exhibited no mental reflection during writing, recording information straight from memory into the composition. Two students engaged primarily in rhetorical planning, specifying the sequencing and organization of their writing in advance. Nine students demonstrated scientific problem solving including hypothesis and evidence generation, examining patterns in the data, and making general knowledge claims in response to the need to generate content for writing, indicating that the act of report writing can stimulate science learning directly. However, thinking during writing was not necessary to compose a report that contained hypotheses and supporting evidence. © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 37: 676–690, 2000     

Effective learning activities in observation taks when learning to write and read argumentative texts

On repeated occasions, observational learning has proved itself to be an effective instruction method. Experimental studies have shown to be effective for complex tasks such as reading and writing for both teachers and students as models. The problem when interpreting the results of such research is that, in observation tasks, several mental activities play a simultaneous role. In this study we therefore set out to identify the effective elements of observation tasks. We focused on two elements of the observation tasks, both aimed at stimulating monitoring activities: evaluation of the model’s performance and elaboration on this evaluation. We have also distinguished between elaboration on the observed products (the models’ written answers), and elaboration on the observed processes (the models’ verbalisations of their mental activities). The data were subjected to a LISREL analysis. First of all, it was observed that subjects who performed “evaluation” and “productelaboration” better, and “process-elaboration” more often in one lesson, also performed these activities better or more often in the subsequent lesson. Next, we observed an effect of aptitude on the learning activities: pre skill scores influence “evaluation” and “product-elaboration”. The most important finding is that “evaluation” and “product-elaboration” contribute positively to argumentative writing skills. It is discussed that these findings confirm the importance of the monitoring, evaluative and reflective activities when learning complex tasks as writing.     

Improving the writing performance,knowledge, and self-efficacy of struggling young writers: The effects of self-regulated strategy development

Writing is a complex task. Its development depends in large part on changes that occur in children’s strategic behavior, knowledge, and motivation. In the present study, the effectiveness of an instructional model, Self-Regulated Strategy Development (SRSD), designed to foster development in each of these areas, was examined. Adding a peer support component to SRSD instruction to facilitate maintenance and generalization was also examined. Struggling, third grade writers, the majority of whom were minority students attending schools that served primarily low-income families, received SRSD instruction focused primarily on learning writing strategies and knowledge for planning and composing stories and persuasive essays. These students wrote longer, more complete, and qualitatively better papers for both of these genres than peers in the comparison condition (Writers’ Workshop). These effects were maintained over time for story writing and generalized to a third uninstructed genre, informative writing. SRSD instruction boosted students’ knowledge about writing as well. The peer support component augmented SRSD instruction by increasing students’ knowledge of planning and enhancing generalization to informative and narrative writing. In contrast, self-efficacy for writing was not influenced by either SRSD condition (with or without peer support).     

关联理论在大学英语写作中的运用

写作在大学英语教学中既是教学内容又是教学手段。近年来,大学英语写作教学改革不断深入,出现了不少好的教学方法,促进了学生写作水平的提高。然而,这些方法还局限在字、词、句和语法层次上,极少涉及语篇层次。基于这种情况,文章采用文献法、问卷调查法,从关联理论中的谋篇和连贯的视角来探讨大学英语写作教学问题。     

妨碍英语写作能力发展的文化因素

以英语为外语的中国学生在写作过程中应注意英语族人和汉语族人的语言特点和思维方式的不同 ,这样才能从根本上提高写作能力。本文主要以说明文为例探讨英语族人和汉语族人在谋篇布局 ,语篇衔接 ,论据提供等的差异 ,使中国学生充分认识到影响写作能力发展的文化因素。     

A structural equation model of the writing process in typically-developing sixth grade children

The purpose of this study was to evaluate how sixth grade children planned, translated, and revised written narrative stories using a task reflecting current instructional and assessment practices. A modified version of the Hayes and Flower (1980) writing process model was used as the theoretical framework for the study. Two hundred one sixth-grade students participated in a three-day writing task. On the first day they generated ideas for their story, on the second day they produced a first draft, and on the third day they revised their draft to produce a final copy. Scores from each day’s writing were used as measured variables representing the latent variables of planning, translating, and revising. Confirmatory structural equation modeling results suggested that the latent variable of planning had a moderate relationship to translating and that translating had a stronger than expected relationship with revising. Significant paths between measured and latent variables demonstrated the relative contribution of skills towards the writing process. The approach used in this study highlighted the linear manner in which intermediate grade children write. Findings suggest that planning had a direct effect on translating, but no direct effect on revising. There was a strong relationship between translating and revising, suggesting few differences between students’ first and final drafts.     

谈写作课程的三大范式

写作课程大致有三种视角:(1)从结果上,把写作看作写文章;(2)从过程上,把写作看作认知过程和问题解决;(3)从功能上,把写作看作自我表达和社会交流。基于上述不同的写作观,写作教学经历了三种范式转型,即结果(文本)中心范式、过程(作者)中心范式、交流(读者)中心范式。从上述三种写作范式出发,构建基于范式整合的中小学写作课程体系,应该是解决我国作文教学问题的突破口。     

A web-based tool for dissertation writing Rosanne Strachan, Rowena Murray and Hilary Grierson

Online web tools are becoming an important and accessible means of supporting learning in higher education. Student writing is central to teaching and learning ( Lillis, 2001 ). This paper describes an online tool designed to support dissertation writing. By combining three types of online space—instructional material, a writing space and planning templates—this tool aimed to provide a holistic approach to writing and writing development. This paper demonstrates how the tool was used in an academic course in order to address certain teaching and learning problems identified by the course tutor. Student feedback suggests that while further development is needed, the tool was still useful. This paper raises awareness of the complex array of issues involved in dissertation writing and provides insights into solutions to writing problems. While we designed what we considered to be a web‐based tool for dissertation writing, we argue that the writing space and planning templates go some way towards creating an environment for the development of learning ( Häkkinen, 2002 ).     

The Study of Three-paragraph Argumentative Writings under Scaffolding Theory

Writing is a kind of creative thinking activities. The teaching of Three-paragraph Argumentative Writings,which is a weak part for English majors in TEM-4 as well as in TEM-8,is crucial in college English instruction. This paper reviews the application of Scaffolding Theory in writings,and proposes a series of training strategies of blank-filling writing,guided writing,controlled writing,and planning before writing. Through these series of training,students can reach the goal of a higher level of free writi...     

The structural relationship between writing attitude and writing achievement in first and third grade students

This study tested three models of the structural relationship between the writing achievement of primary grade students and their attitude towards writing (defined here as an affective disposition involving how the act of writing makes the author feel, ranging from happy to unhappy). The three models tested were: (a) writing attitude influences writing achievement in a unidirectional manner, (b) writing achievement influences writing attitude in a unidirectional manner, and (c) the effects of writing attitude and achievement are bidirectional and reciprocal. The model that best fit the data was based on the assumption that writing attitude influences writing achievement. In addition, the direct path between attitude and achievement in this model was statistically significant. Although third grade students were better writers than first grade students, there was no statistical difference in younger and older students’ attitude towards writing. In addition, girls were more positive about writing than boys, but there was no statistical difference in their writing achievement related to gender. This research extends models based on the cognitive and language processes of writing to include the role of attitude, which is an affective component of motivation.     

The effectiveness of a highly explicit, teacher-directed strategy instruction routine: changing the writing performance of students with learning disabilities

This study examined the effectiveness of a highly explicit, teacher-directed instructional routine used to teach three planning strategies for writing to fourth and fifth graders with learning disabilities. In comparison to peers who received process writing instruction, children who were taught the three planning strategies-goal setting, brainstorming, and organizing-spent more time planning stories in advance of writing and produced stories that were qualitatively better. One month after the end of instruction, students who had been taught the strategies not only maintained their advantage in story quality but also produced longer stories than those produced by their peers who were taught process writing. However, the highly explicit, teacher-directed strategy instructional routine used in this study did not promote transfer to an uninstructed genre, persuasive essay writing. These findings are discussed in terms of their relevance to effective writing instruction practices for students with learning disabilities.     

Problem definition and thesis writing

The purpose of this paper is to present some innovative solutions to major problems experienced by coursework postgraduate students. The paper focusses on two key problem areas: the definition of the research problem, and the planning and writing of the first draft of the thesis. It is argued that one approach which can assist the student to overcome these problems is the workshop; research skills can be developed through the practical guidance, group-support, discussion and reflection which occur in the workshop context. The authors' experiences in conducting postgraduate workshops at Griffith University are discussed, and student evaluation of the workshops presented.     

Adolescents with Learning Disabilities as Writers: Are We Selling Them Short?

This article chronicles the evolution of a programmatic line of research on strategic writing instruction for adolescents with learning disabilities (LD) conducted by staff and affiliates of the University of Kansas Center for Research on Learning. The goal associated with this research is that students with LD learn the writing skills that they need to succeed in high school and beyond and that their skills are comparable to the skills of their peers. Individual studies have shown that adolescents with LD can master a given writing strategy and can apply that strategy to novel prompts and in general education classes. Moreover, they can learn simple writing strategies from computerized programs. They can also maintain use of a writing strategy over time. When students learn several writing strategies, their scores on standardized tests improve, and their writing competency is comparable to that of peers. Studies have also shown that teachers can teach the writing strategies and achieve successful results. Care must be taken, however, to ensure that students with LD receive the instruction under conditions where they have multiple opportunities to reach mastery on each skill and receive individualized feedback on practice attempts. Overall, the research has shown that adolescents with LD can learn complex writing skills such as planning, writing, and editing multiparagraph themes; can apply these skills to tasks that are assigned in required general education courses; and can be successful in those courses.     

Comparison of the effects on writing attitudes and writing self-efficacy of three different training programs in students with learning disabilities

This study aimed to investigate the importance of self-efficacy and attitudes towards writing in writing training. It was also necessary to establish whether these constructs could be more enhanced through a specific intervention as part of the motivational factors, than through training which coaches other writing components such as cognitive processes or cognitive style. To achieve this, the first training program, focusing on the strategies for planning writing, was applied to 28 5th and 6th graders with learning disabilities (LD); a second program, focusing on writing strategies plus reflexive processes, was applied to 49 learning disabled students studying the same grades as in the first group. Finally, the third intervention tried to enhance writing skills using motivational strategies, and it was applied to 66 students in the same conditions as the other samples. All the training programs were compared to a control group, who received only the ordinary curriculum. Results show that there are difficulties in training self-efficacy and attitudes towards writing, but also that different training programs provide different results in these aspects.     

SERVING STUDENT NEEDS THROUGH WRITING CENTERS

Many community colleges have writing centers to help students develop their writing skills because the ability to communicate ideas clearly and accurately is essential for college success. Writing centers are staffed by faculty members, paraprofessionals, and peer tutors who assist students with planning, drafting, and revising essays and research projects. Many centers also offer computer programs and word processing as writing tools. These findings resulted from a study of 13 writing centers in community colleges belonging to the League for Innovation in the Community College. We used a questionnaire to collect data on the design and operation of each center. Although many similarities exist, each campus has modified such features as staffing, hours, and services to meet the needs of its student body. Usage rates indicate that students need and seek out services that can help them achieve academic success.