The effect of explicit instruction on the writing attitude and ability of fourth grade writers

Thesis (M.A., Education (Language and Literacy)) -- California State University, Sacramento, 2010.Students often see writing as a school related activity that is done for their teacher. They do not see themselves as authors composing real work. This lack of authentic purpose and limited view of writing can result in students having a negative view towards this important skill. Students??? self-efficacy towards writing, however, can be an important factor in their ability, their motivation, and their engagement. A good attitude, though, is not enough. Beginning writers also need to learn how to write. One way to develop those skills is with explicit teaching. Students also need good writing modeled. This intervention looked at using explicit writing instruction and its impact on student attitude and ability, specifically in the area of summary writing. To this end, eight fourth grade students participated in a pullout writing program consisting of journal writing, Self-Regulated Strategy Development instruction, and composing of two I-search reports. Four sources of data informed the researcher during this intervention. Students completed both an attitude survey and a pre- and post assessment on summary writing. Also, the researcher took anecdotal records of four students. Finally, the classroom teachers were informally interviewed. The findings of these instruments show that while students had a high self-efficacy in writing, they were unsure of what good writing actually is. They did demonstrate growth in their ability to plan and write a summary of expository text. Both the anecdotal records and the teacher interviews indicate that student attitude improved in the areas of engagement, motivation, and confidence.Education (Language and Literacy