Scholarship & Research
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Item Developing self-efficacy toward writing research methods and classroom practices through awareness of writing experiences for high school students(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 2020) Frieling, Nicole Pamela; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Sarah PenningtonSelf-efficacy research of students' participation with the writing process considers the factors of ideation, convention, and self-management, or rather, the research depends on the skills and techniques of the student writer. While there is much research dedicated to exploring variables of experience within these factors, such as gender, age, demographics, etc., there is very little research which considers the factor of experience as a whole dimension of each unique students' writing process. This study investigated the writing self-efficacy beliefs held by junior and senior high school students in relation to their associations with writing conception, and how writing experiences might contribute to how self-efficacy and conception are established. Scores of self-efficacy and ratios of writing conception were gathered using surveys. Then, using an ANOVA hypothesis test for significance, self-efficacy scores were analyzed based on conception of writing. Further, open-ended questions were also administered through the survey gathering responses to understand student writing experiences. In conjunction with these responses, student participants created storyboards of their lifelong writing experiences. These artifacts were coded using Krippendorff (2013) coding techniques. The results show a relationship between how students' self-efficacy scores differ based on their conception of writing. Further, the results of this study imply there is a relationship between writing experiences, conception, and self-efficacy. In particular, this sample revealed themes associated with collaboration in writing. However, the results of this particular sample are not the end goal or purpose of this study. Rather, it is to demonstrate the necessity for considering students' experiences with writing in each unique sample of self-efficacy toward writing research. Educational implications and further research are discussed.Item Preservice elementary teachers' writing skills: perceptions versus abilities(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 2017) Knickerbocker, Michelle Tappmeyer; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Ann EllsworthThe purpose of this study was to determine if preservice teachers' perceptions of their writing skills aligned with their actual writing skills and how their writing experiences affected their attitudes and beliefs toward writing and writing instruction. This mixed-methods study measured the linguistic skills of 27 elementary education students through a variety of quantitative assessments designed to measure both their writing abilities and their knowledge of linguistic concepts. Surveys, classroom observations, writing samples, and interviews provided qualitative data of writing experiences, attitudes, and beliefs regarding writing and writing instruction. The quantitative and qualitative data were then analyzed and compared. The results confirmed the hypothesis that students' perceptions, as shaped by their writing experiences, and attitudes and beliefs about writing and writing instruction, did not accurately reflect their abilities. Recommendations were made for possible curriculum changes and other supports to improve students' skills and shift their attitudes and beliefs about the value of writing and writing instruction.Item Using activity theory to understand effective writing instruction with high poverty middle school students(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 2017) Fisher, Heather Marie; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Jayne DowneyConveying thoughts, ideas, and solutions through written words has been, and will continue to be, a crucial way to demonstrate thinking and learning in both the academic and professional worlds. Because of its importance, and our students' struggles, writing's place in education has risen to the forefront, leading to more rigorous writing standards and assessment in correspondence with the English Language Arts Common Core State Standards. Thus, this mixed methods study was designed to analyze Montana's middle school Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC) English Language writing scores to understand patterns of proficiency in writing across schools and student demographics (gender and socioeconomic status). In part one of the study, quantitative data were analyzed from the 2015-2016 school year and included scores from 338 schools serving grades 6-8 with a total of 29,091 students. In alignment with current literature, findings suggest that Montana's middle school students' of low socioeconomic status, on average, perform lower than their peers on the writing portion of the standardized test. In part two of the study, qualitative data were gathered from a Montana middle school where students achieved proficiency on the Smarter Balanced Assessment English Language Arts Performance Task, to examine the way writing instruction is approached in the school. Engestrom's Activity Theory (1987) was used as a framework to describe the system of teacher instruction used to improve students' writing. Findings illuminate the complex facets of writing instruction from the lens of Activity Theory and provide practical applications for administrators and teachers in navigating a dynamic learning system.Item How preservice teachers' attitudes and beliefs about writing inform their view of writing instruction : a case study(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 2016) Malloy, Denise Glaser; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Ann EllsworthAttitudes and beliefs about writing held by preservice teachers play a significant role in how they will approach writing instruction in their future classrooms. Teachers who engage in regular writing practice, possess knowledge of English language foundations and grammar, and have a positive attitude about writing will be better prepared to address the challenges of teaching students how to write. This study examined the attitudes and beliefs of seven elementary education majors who were enrolled in one writing?intensive English language arts course during the spring semester in 2016. The participants in this qualitative case study were selected after taking the Writing Apprehension Test (WAT) as part of their coursework. A social constructivism paradigm provided the theoretical framework for this study. Data sources included: a questionnaire, two semi?structured interviews, a writing memories matrix, daily class observations, a focus group, field observer notes, and student work samples and journal entries. The data was analyzed in the context of student as writer and student as future writing teacher. Six themes emerged within the framework of the analysis for both writer and future writing teacher: providing explicit and meaningful feedback; offering choice in writing topics; making writing fun, enjoyable, and possessing an enthusiasm for the subject; providing adequate instruction in writing foundations, skill, and grammar; allowing adequate time for writing practice; and helping students understand the 'why' of writing. This study offers insight into how preservice teachers perceive and practice the writing process, what factors were influential in the development of their attitudes and beliefs, and what role those will play in writing instruction. In addition, this study explores how providing positive experiences with the writing process within the context of the six themes can bolster confidence and skill levels for soon?to?be teachers. Finally, this study concludes with suggestions for how teacher education programs can optimize instruction to remediate and reinforce skills, foster positive experiences with writing, and support future teachers in their journey.Item Teacher consultant transformation in a local National Writing Project site(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 2016) Waterton, Nigel Paul; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Nick Lux; Christine Rogers Stanton (co-chair)Teacher professional development is both evidentially and emotively understood to be largely ineffective. Yet the National Writing Project's professional development model has established a long-term record of measurable impact on student writing improvement and profound influence on its participants' ways of thinking and living their teaching and writing lives. For many, the experience is transformative. This dissertation investigated two questions: First, what are the features of a professional development model that facilitate transformation learning over time? Second, how do participants view the way these features of a transformative professional development model inform their classroom instruction? This narrative inquiry is informed by the theoretical lens of adult transformational learning and investigated two practicing writing teachers who participated in the National Writing Project Summer Institute at least three years ago. The study found four resonant narrative threads: structure, risk, audience, and agency. Participants deeply restructured their classroom writing instruction over time in a way that shared agency with student writers and that posed risk to instructors and students. This occurred frequently through shifting writing audience away from teachers and providing greater authorial voice to student writers, which are practices both participants experienced in a National Writing Project local site.Item The relationship of sentence-expansion with pictorialization on grade six writing(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 1984) Wason-Ellam, LindaItem The effect of grammar-diagraming on student writing skills(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 1965) Whitehead, Charles E.Item Motor, perceptual-motor and cognitive factors responsible for differentiating between above- and below-average legibility scores of second grade students(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 1986) Nikola-Lisa, William JohnItem Supporting pre-service teacher writing during teacher training : perceptions of seven interviewees compared with themes in current research(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 2014) Mohr, Virginia Louise; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Ann EllsworthWhile studies have explored the writing identity formation and compositional self-efficacy of pre-service teachers, little research has been published on writing skill and task competencies important for emphasis during teacher training. In order to help fill this gap in current research, seven pre-service teachers contributed interview data by answering eleven open-ended questions about which compositional skill and task proficiencies they considered most crucial during their preparation for an in-service career. This data was then compared to other current studies exploring writing skill and task competencies for pre-service and in-service teachers. Because this information was so scarce, data was also included from college-prep, college-remedial, and general college-level writing research as well as from study results from four university career preparation programs: psychology, business, history, and fundamental and applied sciences. Convergent and divergent themes were generated and analyzed. During the course of the interviews, pre-service teachers identified writing skill proficiencies that comprised mechanical, organizational, social, and cognitive aspects. Task competencies included professional, communicative, instructional, and personal compositional types. Compared to research literature, pre-service teachers exhibited a heightened concern with mechanical skills while underemphasizing cognitive writing proficiencies. This was also reflected in their task emphases; concern for correct mechanics when writing for colleagues, sending letters to parents, and modeling for students were frequently mentioned themes. Personal task proficiencies were also more highly regarded in some research literature than by the seven interviewees. Additionally, pre-service teachers agreed strongly with current studies suggesting that a single freshman writing course was insufficient writing preparation for career-oriented training in composition. Conclusions reached by this study emphasized meeting currently expressed pre-service teacher needs for mechanical instruction while also nurturing awareness of cognitive writing competencies. Support for social and organizational proficiencies should also continue throughout teacher training. It was suggested that desired skill proficiencies could best be developed by practicing authentic, career-specific writing tasks accompanied by instruction and positive, yet clear, feedback. Both skill and task competency development should be supported consistently over the entire course of the teacher training program, according to the interviewees and current research data.Item Writing expectations and requirements : perspectives of high school teachers and college instructors(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 2014) Keaster, Miranda Lee; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Ann EllsworthThe primary purpose of the study was to explore the writing expectations and requirements of educators, investigating the viewpoints of high school English teachers and college writing instructors on writing, expectations of students, classroom writing requirements, and methods and assessment strategies. A mixed-method approach was used. Surveys were distributed to educators within the sampling frame; focus group interviews were conducted with volunteer educators and chosen secondary and postsecondary students. Descriptive statistics were conducted and themes were identified among the interview data. Independent t-tests were conducted to determine if the difference in high school English teachers' and college educators' perceptions were significant. The study revealed that all participants believed editing and proofreading, avoiding plagiarism, maintaining focus, providing organization with logical grouping, and using discernable introductions and conclusions were important in writing. Differences included high school English teachers perceived employing a writing process, providing students with examples of effective writing, representing different points of view, and using appropriate vocabulary as essential writing requirements and expectations. College writing instructors' foci were on presenting a thesis and supporting these claims with multiple and appropriate sources of evidence while also evaluating these source materials critically, and providing written feedback to students.