Compared with first language (L1) writing, writing in a second or foreign language (L2) is considered to be more challenging and difficult. The challenges and difficulties may result from both the cognitive and the affective aspects of writing. To mitigate the difficulties of L2 writing and help students master L2 writing, teachers could consider using the pedagogical strategies which can help enhance students' cognition in writing or students' writing performance, and also can help reduce students' fear of L2 writing. One of the pedagogical strategies is online collaborative writing supported by CMC. Collaborative learning helps enhance students' cognitive outcomes, such as academic achievement and cognitive development, as well as produce less anxiety in learning. CMC facilitates collaboration, and also provides more chances for interaction which could result in more thoughts. The more thoughts would facilitate to compose. Therefore, it is assumed that online collaborative writing is more effective than traditional collaborative writing in terms of writing performance and writing anxiety. The present study is a quasi-experimental study. Participants were 101 first-year college students from two intact classes of a private university in Taiwan. One class was randomly assigned as the control class. Participants were engaged in traditional collaborative writing. The other was the experimental class. Students wrote collaboratively via blogs. Before the treatment, both classes were asked to completed a background survey, a pre-test L2 writing anxiety questionnaire, and a pre-test individual writing task. The treatment lasted for ten weeks during which each collaborative group in both classes completed five collaborative writing tasks. After the treatment, a collaborative writing questionnaire, a post-test L2 writing anxiety questionnaire, and a post-test individual writing task were administered to all participants. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted to the students who made the largest, medium, and lowest gains in both classes. Quantitative and qualitative analyses were conducted to analyze the data. In terms of the quantitative results, there were no significant difference in collaborative writing performance and the quantity of individual writing between classes. The experimental class only significantly performed better than the control class in the quality of individual writing. Concerning the writing anxiety measured, the control class was significantly lower than the experimental class. Regarding students' perceptions, the results of the questionnaire showed that the control class made much more positive responses than the experimental class. As for the qualitative results, students' interviews revealed (1) the function of collaborative writing, (2) the features of the media, (3) the difficulty they encounter during collaborative writing, (4) the positive and negative factors influencing their motivation to write, and (5) their suggestions for teachers. The qualitative results support the quantitative results. Overall, this dissertation study found that, based on statistic results, traditional collaborative writing seems to be more effective than blog-supported collaborative writing in decreasing the writing anxiety of the EFL college students with weaker English ability and little writing experience. In addition, according to students' perceptions and interview results, traditional collaborative writing also appears to be more acceptable in this context. Although the statistic results suggest that the effect of blog-supported collaborative writing on writing performance and writing anxiety seems to be limited and little probably due to the use of blogs as individual and synchronous tools, its effectiveness can not be completely denied because students' perceptions and interviews suggest its positive influence and outcome. L2 teachers are suggested to provide more training sessions, employ the collaborative writing activity as an out-of-class assignment, and carefully monitor the process of collaborative writing if they do use blogs in L2 writing instruction.

In the field of L2 (second language) writing, a great number of studies have been done to explore learners’ writing processes and writing strategies since the last three decades. However, the relationship between learners’ strategy use and writing performance is still not clear-cut, and researchers still debate about whether L1 (first language) writing processes and strategies are similar to or different from L2 writing processes and strategies. To explore these controversial issues, this study has examined the L1 and L2 academic writing processes of 35 Chinese ESL (English-as-a-second-language) learners by using concurrent think-aloud protocols and retrospective interviews. In line with previous strategy studies, the findings of present study also revealed that learners selected, used, and evaluated a wide range of writing strategies (i.e., approach, rhetorical, communication, cognitive, metacognitive, affective, and social strategies) in both L1 and L2 tasks. Moreover, the results of qualitative and quantitative analyses indicated that the overall pattern of strategy use by learners was similar between L1 and L2. Specifically, learners tended to transfer their approach, rhetorical, communication, and cognitive strategies across languages. As for the correlations between writing strategies and writing scores, statistical tests did not detect any significant relationships between learners’ strategy use and their writing performance in either the L1 writing task or the L2 writing task. One main implication suggested by the present study is that learners should not only be encouraged to reflect on their L2 writing performance and strategy use, but also be provided with the opportunities to reconsider and reflect on how they usually approach and process L1 writing tasks. / Graduate

CARVALHO, Francisca Eliane Dias de. Fatores socioeconômicos associados ao desempenho dos estudantes na prova de redação do Exame Nacional do Ensino Médio (ENEM). 2017. 179f. –Tese (Doutorado) – Universidade Federal do Ceará, Programa de Pós-graduação em Educação Brasileira, Fortaleza (CE), 2017. / Submitted by Gustavo Daher (gdaherufc@hotmail.com) on 2017-10-25T16:20:15Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2017_tese_fedcarvalho.pdf: 8003260 bytes, checksum: 50d6bdb1f9cb9307ea5016de51249b89 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Márcia Araújo (marcia_m_bezerra@yahoo.com.br) on 2017-10-27T19:21:27Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 2017_tese_fedcarvalho.pdf: 8003260 bytes, checksum: 50d6bdb1f9cb9307ea5016de51249b89 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-10-27T19:21:27Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2017_tese_fedcarvalho.pdf: 8003260 bytes, checksum: 50d6bdb1f9cb9307ea5016de51249b89 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017 / Diversos fatores interferem no desempenho escolar dos estudantes, principalmente, os socioeconômicos. Partindo-se desse pressuposto e considerando a escassez de estudos relativos à temática, o presente estudo investigou a interface entre fatores associados e desempenho dos estudantes do ensino médio na Prova de Redação do Exame Nacional do Ensino Médio (Enem). Esta investigação se fundamentou, mormente, nos estudos de Tyler, Stufflebeam, Stake, Guba e Lincoln, que tratam da avaliação educacional; e nas pesquisas de Soares e de L. Macedo, dentre outros, que abordam os fatores associados. Traçou-se como objetivo geral identificar os fatores socioeconômicos que influenciam o desempenho do alunado nessa prova. Especificamente, intencionou-se: i) analisar o desempenho dos alunos na redação do Enem; ii) analisar as associações entre o desempenho e o nível socioeconômico (NSE) dos estudantes e iii) identificar, entre as variáveis, as categorias que mais impactam no desempenho. Esta pesquisa, de natureza quantitativa, utilizou a base de microdados do Enem que compôs o corpus, cuja população foi de 4,2 milhões de sujeitos, e fez uso de técnicas de análises estatísticas para investigar as relações entre as oito variáveis selecionadas. Desse modo, foi possível realizar comparações entre o comportamento cognitivo e o atitudinal dos estudantes em relação a Gênero, Etnia, Renda Familiar, Escolaridade dos Pais, Tipo de Escola e Região Geográfica e Distrito Federal. Os resultados alcançados demonstraram haver forte influência do NSE no desempenho em redação, sendo necessárias políticas mais direcionadas para a superação dos pontos frágeis, os quais não podem ser ignorados pelos gestores públicos. Ademais, pesquisas futuras podem ser realizadas no sentido de aprofundar e/ou de ampliar esta abordagem, considerando outros cruzamentos que não foram contemplados neste estudo, bem como a influência de outras variáveis.

This study examines the effect of class discussion as a pre-writing activity on actual writing performance. The experiment was conducted with all the Level 3 and Level 4 students enrolled in the Intensive English Language Institute of North Texas State University in the Spring, 1986 semester. Cochrans C test was performed to test significant differences between groups at the beginning of this test. Multivariate analysis of variance tests were used to determine the treatment effect between and within groups, and a matched t-test was also utilized to analyze the difference within tests. Pearson product moment correlation coefficient was calculated to determine the relationship between the discussion activity score and the actual writing score. Analysis of covariance tests were used to determine which variance of discussion activities had greater effect on the actual writing score.

nÃo hà / Diversos fatores interferem no desempenho escolar dos estudantes, principalmente, os socioeconÃmicos. Partindo-se desse pressuposto e considerando a escassez de estudos relativos à temÃtica, o presente estudo investigou a interface entre fatores associados e desempenho dos estudantes do ensino mÃdio na Prova de RedaÃÃo do Exame Nacional do Ensino MÃdio (Enem). Esta investigaÃÃo se fundamentou, mormente, nos estudos de Tyler, Stufflebeam, Stake, Guba e Lincoln, que tratam da avaliaÃÃo educacional; e nas pesquisas de Soares e de L. Macedo, dentre outros, que abordam os fatores associados. TraÃou-se como objetivo geral identificar os fatores socioeconÃmicos que influenciam o desempenho do alunado nessa prova. Especificamente, intencionou-se: i) analisar o desempenho dos alunos na redaÃÃo do Enem; ii) analisar as associaÃÃes entre o desempenho e o nÃvel socioeconÃmico (NSE) dos estudantes e iii) identificar, entre as variÃveis, as categorias que mais impactam no desempenho. Esta pesquisa, de natureza quantitativa, utilizou a base de microdados do Enem que compÃs o corpus, cuja populaÃÃo foi de 4,2 milhÃes de sujeitos, e fez uso de tÃcnicas de anÃlises estatÃsticas para investigar as relaÃÃes entre as oito variÃveis selecionadas. Desse modo, foi possÃvel realizar comparaÃÃes entre o comportamento cognitivo e o atitudinal dos estudantes em relaÃÃo a GÃnero, Etnia, Renda Familiar, Escolaridade dos Pais, Tipo de Escola e RegiÃo GeogrÃfica e Distrito Federal. Os resultados alcanÃados demonstraram haver forte influÃncia do NSE no desempenho em redaÃÃo, sendo necessÃrias polÃticas mais direcionadas para a superaÃÃo dos pontos frÃgeis, os quais nÃo podem ser ignorados pelos gestores pÃblicos. Ademais, pesquisas futuras podem ser realizadas no sentido de aprofundar e/ou de ampliar esta abordagem, considerando outros cruzamentos que nÃo foram contemplados neste estudo, bem como a influÃncia de outras variÃveis.

Research on task-based language teaching (TBLT) offers a large body of evidence suggesting that cognitive task complexity influences learners’ language production and development. Studies that investigate task complexity, however, provide contradictory results on the way different linguistic aspects of performance are affected by the manipulation of cognitive task complexity. The empirical study presented in this degree project aimed to investigate the effect of task complexity on the accuracy, complexity and fluency in learners ́ written performance. An additional goal of the study was to examine whether proficiency level would mediate the effects of cognitive task complexity. In order to explain the influence of cognitive task complexity on linguistic performance two theoretical models are used and discussed, namely Skehan’s Limited Attention Capacity Hypothesis (Skehan 2015) and Robinson’s Cognition Hypothesis (Robinson 2001, 2011, 2015). In order to answer the research questions guiding the study, 71 Swedish high school students of Spanish performed a simple or a more cognitively complex version of a written task. Results showed that increasing task complexity had a positive effect on the fluency, accuracy, and complexity of the participants ́ written performance, and that these effects were greater among the high proficiency participants’ productions. These results offer valuable implications for syllabus and task designers, language teachers and examiners, as well as second and foreign language researchers.

本研究探討電腦支援合作知識翻新（knowledge building）活動對國小四年級學童閱讀理解與寫作表現的影響。研究對象為新北市某公立國小的兩班學生共53人。其中，實驗組（n=25）採知識翻新活動﹔控制組(n=28)採傳統講述教學活動。研究方法採準實驗設計中的「不等組前後測設計」；在為期十八週的實驗期間進行前測、實驗處理及後測。 　　研究資料來源包含：(1)PIRLS閱讀測驗前後測成績；(2)教學科技平台討論內容；(3)教學科技平台活動參與量；(4)寫作表現分數；(5)實驗組與控制組學生的半結構訪談；以及(6)實驗組的段考學習成績。資料分析同時使用質性與量化兩種方式。質性分析內容包括半結構訪談與平台討論內容，量化資料分析內容包含閱讀測驗成績、平台活動參與程度、以及寫作表現分數。透過多元資料分析以瞭解經過不同教學方法後，兩組學生的閱讀理解與寫作表現上是否有所差異。 　　研究結果顯示：(1) 知識翻新有助於提升學生的整體閱讀理解，且使用知識論壇進行閱讀理解提問，也有助於提昇學生的提問能力；(2) 知識翻新有助於提升學生整體寫作表現，且知識論壇上的貼文與討論活動也有助於改善學生的寫作品質；(3) 知識翻新能幫助學生改進其想法概念，且實驗後期於知識論壇的活動量也有呈現增加的趨勢；及(4)經過知識翻新活動後，實驗組的低學業成就學生之閱讀理解表現優於控制組的低學業成就學生，但二組在寫作方面則無顯著差異。 　　本研究嘗試改變過去的學習模式，透過知識翻新：鼓勵學生產生並反思想法，讓學生的學習更具主動性；及鼓勵同儕間的互助與互動以改進閱讀想法，讓學生在閱讀理解與寫作表現的成效產生正向的成長。 / Abstract The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of knowledge building activities on grade-four students’ reading comprehension and writing performance. This study adopted a quasi-experimental design. In the experiment group, the participants were 25 grade-four students; in the control group, the participants were 28 grade-four students. The experiment class engaged in knowledge building and sustained ideational writing in order to enhance their writing performance (for 18 weeks). In contrast, the control group engaged in teacher-directed instruction. Data sources mainly came from: (1) pre-post PIRLS reading comprehension test; (2) students’ notes posted in Knowledge Forum; (3) students’ online discussion activities in Knowledge Forum, such as number of notes contributed, number of notes read, and number of notes built-on to other’s notes; (4) pre-post writing test; (5) semi-structured interview; and (6) student’ end-of-the-semester grades. To analyze, one-way ANCOVA, paired t-test and chi-square was employed to quantitatively examine students’ reading comprehension and writing test after the course. In addition, qualitative content analysis was also performed to evaluate the quality of students’ notes and to understand how students changed their views of ideas. The findings were as follows: (1) knowledge building pedagogy was conducive to enhancing students’ high-level reading comprehension and encouraging more in-depth questioning activities in Knowledge Forum; (2) after being engagaed in Knowledge building for a semester, students were able to demonstrate better writing performance, and more active discussion activities in the Knowledge Forum; (3) Knowledge building pedagogy changed students’ views of ideas and improved their idea generation capacity; and (4) Low achievers in the experiment group were able to demonstrate better reading comprehension than those in the control group. Overall, the findings suggested that knowledge building practice was able to help change the traditionally more authoritative and teacher-directed one-way instruction,   to an alternative, more student-centered, idea generation and improvement pedagogy, that helped students attain better reading comprehension and writing performance.

nÃo hà / Diversos fatores interferem no desempenho escolar dos estudantes, principalmente, os socioeconÃmicos. Partindo-se desse pressuposto e considerando a escassez de estudos relativos à temÃtica, o presente estudo investigou a interface entre fatores associados e desempenho dos estudantes do ensino mÃdio na Prova de RedaÃÃo do Exame Nacional do Ensino MÃdio (Enem). Esta investigaÃÃo se fundamentou, mormente, nos estudos de Tyler, Stufflebeam, Stake, Guba e Lincoln, que tratam da avaliaÃÃo educacional; e nas pesquisas de Soares e de L. Macedo, dentre outros, que abordam os fatores associados. TraÃou-se como objetivo geral identificar os fatores socioeconÃmicos que influenciam o desempenho do alunado nessa prova. Especificamente, intencionou-se: i) analisar o desempenho dos alunos na redaÃÃo do Enem; ii) analisar as associaÃÃes entre o desempenho e o nÃvel socioeconÃmico (NSE) dos estudantes e iii) identificar, entre as variÃveis, as categorias que mais impactam no desempenho. Esta pesquisa, de natureza quantitativa, utilizou a base de microdados do Enem que compÃs o corpus, cuja populaÃÃo foi de 4,2 milhÃes de sujeitos, e fez uso de tÃcnicas de anÃlises estatÃsticas para investigar as relaÃÃes entre as oito variÃveis selecionadas. Desse modo, foi possÃvel realizar comparaÃÃes entre o comportamento cognitivo e o atitudinal dos estudantes em relaÃÃo a GÃnero, Etnia, Renda Familiar, Escolaridade dos Pais, Tipo de Escola e RegiÃo GeogrÃfica e Distrito Federal. Os resultados alcanÃados demonstraram haver forte influÃncia do NSE no desempenho em redaÃÃo, sendo necessÃrias polÃticas mais direcionadas para a superaÃÃo dos pontos frÃgeis, os quais nÃo podem ser ignorados pelos gestores pÃblicos. Ademais, pesquisas futuras podem ser realizadas no sentido de aprofundar e/ou de ampliar esta abordagem, considerando outros cruzamentos que nÃo foram contemplados neste estudo, bem como a influÃncia de outras variÃveis.

[pt] Refletir sobre a figura autoral na literatura contemporânea: este é o objetivo da presente pesquisa. Revisitamos, num primeiro momento, alguns casos que servem de referência para a produção atual, tendo em mente a hipótese de ser o autor um articulador de realidades inventivas. Nesse sentido, trabalhamos com noções como cópia e semelhança, aparentes falseadores de uma atitude autoral se nos afiançamos na concepção de autor como criador original, mas encarados aqui como recursos para uma produção literária provocativa e instigante. Em seguida, procuramos tratar da imagem do autor no terreno extratextual, ou seja, a construção do personagem autor na vida pública com relação à sua obra e ao possível ou efetivo leitor. Busca-se, nessa parte, pensar de que forma se concretiza certa função autor, resgatando o conceito foucaultiano, através do contato direto do escritor com o leitor para falar da obra. Finalmente, trazemos para a discussão a construção do autor junto a outros personagens que formam o mercado literário, como agentes, editores e profissionais ligados ao texto, de maneira a pensar como tanto a figura autoral quanto a produção ficcional são construções coletivas. A proposta portanto é entender o lugar ocupado pelo autor a partir dos recursos intra e extratextuais que lhe cabem em um contexto de arte interessada na sociedade. / [en] To think about the author in contemporary literature, that is the goal of this research. In the first chapter, working with the hypothesis that the author acts like a creative realities weaver, some cases are revisited as references to present literary writing. Here we bring concepts like copy and similarity, at first sight trickeries of a false authorial attitude if we believe in the idea of an original creator. But these concepts are considered in this dissertation as legitimate assets for a provocative and exciting literature. The second chapter treats the author in the extratextual field, which means we discuss how, as a social character, he is formed in public life, being related with his oeuvre and his possible or effective reader. Our intent is to understand how the foucaultian author function emerges through the contact between writer and reader. In the last part, we bring other agents of the literary market who participate in the construction of the author, like literary agents, editors and other publishing professionals. The idea is to think about the author, and also the fiction itself, as a collective construction. With these three formulations, we try to comprehend where the author is placed from both intra and extratextual resources, always having in mind that we consider art as involved with society and its issues.