Describes a method for using the press release to introduce basic technical writing principles and increase students' writing confidence. Includes lecture format and writing assignment. (HTH)

This study tested the influence of writing self-efficacy, writing apprehension, perceived usefulness of writing, and writing aptitude on 218 fifth graders' essay-writing performance. Students' beliefs about their abilities directly influenced apprehension, perceived usefulness, and performance, and partially mediated the effects of gender and…

Newspaper journalists have difficulty experiencing much writing apprehension since fast deadlines makes these writers become comfortable with their raw copy. Such a sense of comfort and confidence are necessary for survival and success in the newspaper business. Writing research shows that writers produce better writing if the topic interests…

To determine whether teacher intervention in the form of experimentally manipulated variables would significantly change the level of students' dispositional writing apprehension, a study evaluated the effects of two classroom interventions--one apprehension-producing (AP) and one apprehension-reducing (AR). Four situational variables were…

The William Perry model of learning is directly parallel to what has been learned about writing processes. He observed that the student is essentially a dualist who sees everything as right or wrong. This stance of absolute acceptance wavers when the student encounters varieties of or disagreements among truths, thus gradually evolving into the…

Draws a parallel between the resistance experienced by a patient in psychoanalysis and the resistance expressed by students in composition or literature courses. (JC)

Assesses the microcomputer's effects on the process and quality of business writing, focusing on writing anxiety, computer anxiety, time spent in writing, writing quality, and the relationship of gender to these variables. Concludes that the most significant predictor of quality is initial writing ability. (MM)

Advocates teachers' belief in students' ability to achieve writing success, rather than assuming failure that results in self-fulfilling prophecy. (HTH)

A study explored how students' writing apprehension and self-efficacy beliefs affect their use of teacher comments on first drafts of stories. The driving force behind the study stemmed from an interest in how to provide more effective, relevant feedback to students. The study examined student use of global and local feedback--global feedback is…

Discusses writing apprehension from the tutors' point of view, drawing on observations recorded in journals. Suggests that research and discussion about writing apprehension can form an important focus for developing a tutoring course. (MM)

The paper presents a model for teaching written language to hearing impaired students on which curriculum can be based. In addition, activities, techniques, and resources are suggested that can be used when implementing the writing program. (Author/PB)

This study investigated the effects of the WebQuest Writing Instruction (WQWI) program on Taiwanese EFL learners' writing performance, writing apprehension, and perception of web-resource integrated language learning. Participants were students from two junior college classes. One class received traditional classroom writing instruction and the…

A study investigated how future teachers viewed themselves as writers and writing teachers and how these identities were being addressed in teacher education programs. Subjects, 226 student teachers at Middle Tennessee State University, responded to a questionnaire designed to measure both writing apprehension and beliefs about the role and…

The personal attitudes of a writing instructor are often much more important than the pedagogical orientation, and certain teacher attitudes seem to affect student performance and attitude more than others. Research on writing apprehension shows a correlation between attitude and writing. Several theorists have postulated that the sources of…

A case study approach was used to explore the sources of negative attitudes toward writing of three unskilled college freshman writers. The studies included interviews both with the students concerning their writing histories and with their former high school English teachers. In addition, information was gathered about their verbal abilities and…