<Research Notes>Teaching Argumentative Writing through a Process-focused Instruction: The Effects of the Prewriting Activity on Student Perceived Learning

本稿は、思考整理に焦点をあてた協働的なライティング活動がいかに学生のライティング学習に影響するかを分析し、本活動の妥当性を纏めたものである。具体的には、主体的・対話的で深い学びを意識したライティング指導の一環として、執筆前の協働的ライティング活動(プレライティング活動)をプロジェクト発信型英語プログラムの授業に導入し、プロセス重視の指導を展開した。何をどう書いてよいか分からない学生に独自に構築した補助教材を提示し、論理的且つ客観的に思考を整理する機会を可能な限り与え、執筆前の思考整理の方法とその重要性を強調した。本活動が学生の学習に及ぼす影響をアンケートにより検証したところ、学生の思考を活発化させ、アカデミックライティングにおける根本的・基礎的知識を習得させる効果があったと言えよう。本研究は、ライティング指導に従事されている関係者にとって教育的示唆を伴う一例となるであろう。This article describes an exploratory study investigating the effects of prewriting activities on students' perceptions of their own learning. The author implemented a process-focused activity in a project-based English program during the spring semester of 2016, and here discusses the findings of the study. The participating students were 80 sophomores in the College of Life Sciences and Pharmaceutical Sciences. The students were provided with two support worksheets to logically organize their critical thoughts and arguments prior to the start of the writing task. During the process, they conducted a core writing task, in which key concepts and a logical order were identified, and then developed an organizational structure for writing an academic paper. Web-based questionnaires, including a free description element, were conducted before and after the prewriting process, in order to evaluate the participants' perceived achievements. The results demonstrated that the process had a positive influence on students' perceptions of their learning. The author therefore concludes that the prewriting activity did enhance students' learning. This empirical study illustrates that prewriting activity can refocus students' attention on the fundamentals of an academic paper: the importance of establishing an argumentation with logical flow, and of strengthening the linkage between sentences. Furthermore, the process-focused activity improves students' cognitive processes, and activates their ability to think analytically. Indeed, said cognitive ability may become a potential resource to improve their writing in the future. It is therefore suggested that the teaching of argumentative writing should take a more process-focused approach