Investigates the effect on postsecondary students of the belief that writing ability is a gift. Finds that higher levels of belief in giftedness correlate with higher levels of writing apprehension, lower self-assessments of writing ability, and lower levels of confidence. Suggests that the belief in giftedness may have deleterious effects on…

Presents the concept of directiveness (regarding the behavior of a consultant/tutor in a writing conference) as a continuum that can be defined in terms of particular characteristics. Examines students' and tutors' attitudes regarding the directiveness of tutors. Finds perceptions between consultants and students differed considerably on a number…

Three Spanish/English bilingual kindergarten children were interviewed to discover their views on learning to write. Texts of interviews are presented. (PCB)

To come closer to the full "face to face" expression of writing consistent with the intention of the holistic movement, a study investigated the writing attitudes of first year writing students. Subjects, 70 students in the developmental writing group, 77 in the middle ability group, and 68 in the advanced writing group enrolled in…

Compares the preferred prewriting invention strategies of advanced, average, and basic ability eleventh grade writers. Finds that freewriting was used most frequently by the total group of students as well as when advanced students' and average students' responses were considered separately. Includes comparisons of preferences by level of student…

Presents and discusses a study of 129 first-year composition students that identifies both their expectations and frustrations. Focuses on how such results demonstrate students' ambivalence about classes and educators as well as their ability to function as effective writers. (SG)

This paper describes the multiple choice item development assignment (MCIDA) that was developed to support both content and higher level learning. The MCIDA involves students in higher level learning by requiring them to develop multiple choice items, write justifications for both correct and incorrect answer options and determine the highest…

Proposes that the multigenre concept can be a major force in developing writing ability and writing enthusiasm in students. Notes that the point of a multigenre paper is to convey a unified message which is reflected not only in the content of the individual elements, but also in how they work together. Proposes that if this necessary unity is not…

The Self-Regulated Strategy Development model was used to assist six elementary students with learning disabilities develop a strategy for planning and writing essays, self-regulation, and positive attributions regarding effort and strategy use. Instruction had a positive effect on students' approach to writing, writing performance, and…

A recursive scientific writing project was undertaken in a second-year, graduate-level course to teach students who were non-native English speakers to write scientific communications clearly and concisely in English. The instructor returned students' brief texts with editorial revisions marked to show how increased clarity may be achieved through…

This purposes of this presentation were to: (1) document the gap between self-assessment and faculty assessment of students' writing ability at Saginaw Valley State University; (2) analyse possible causes for the gap; and (3) suggest four ways to review the gap. Survey data were gathered from introductory history, political science, management,…

In this article, I focus on a review of the existing research pertaining to the use of word processors in K-6 writing classrooms and the effects of technologies on students' writing ability. As integrated as technology appears to be in today's curriculum, the effects of using word processors for writing enhancement, instruction and practice…

Researchers agree that academic self-efficacy beliefs are strongly predictive of academic performance. This study investigates four students' perceptions of the evolution of their efficacy beliefs about writing and of the relationship between these beliefs and their writing competence. (JPS)

Interviews with 39 students with learning disabilities (LD, grades 4-8) and 29 normally achieving students revealed that, compared to controls, LD students had less mature conceptualizations of writing and less favorable attitudes toward writing but no differences in evaluations of their competence in either writing or the composing process.…

A study investigated how the introduction of a computer writing tool that provides metacognitive guidance to students interacting with it--the Writing Partner2 (WP2)--influenced the classroom environment, and explored both effects "with" and effects "of" working with such a computer tool. Data was gathered from an eighth-grade…