When deciding on topics for academic research papers, many students face difficulties that vary from choosing themes whose scope is too extensive to be satisfactorily analyzed in the given task, to selecting topics that are too limited, to not being able to make a decision on a topic at all. Such struggles seem to manifest themselves in both native and non-native speakers of English. Despite extensive research on the writing process and its strategies, be it for academic writing or other genres, and even research focused on writers’ difficulties, previous research has found little about the troubles students must overcome when deciding on a research topic, and how to overcome them. This study employed a qualitative case study design with two graduate students in a master’s program in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, who were enrolled in two sections of a course on research, to investigate these students’ writing processes as they defined a topic for their literature review research paper. Through an in-depth analysis of samples of their writing in combination with their verbal reports, collected during individual semi-structured interviews, this case study examined how two graduate students successfully calibrated their topics, which strategies they employed to that end, and how their instructors’ actions helped them in the process. Consequently, the findings shed light on instructional practices, and their implications for teachers’ training programs.

Η παρούσα ερευνητική εργασία ασχολείται με τη διδασκαλία του γραπτού λόγου και, πιο συγκεκριμένα, με το ζήτημα του γραπτού επιχειρηματολογικού λόγου. Σκοπός της εργασίας αυτής είναι να διερευνηθεί αν και κατά πόσο μπορούν οι μαθητές / τριες της Πρωτοβάθμιας Εκπαίδευσης, και συγκεκριμένα της Δ΄ τάξης του Δημοτικού Σχολείου, να ανταποκριθούν σε γραπτά θέματα επιχειρηματολογικού λόγου, δηλαδή αν είναι σε θέση, κατόπιν συστηματικής διδασκαλίας, να αναπτύξουν λόγο επιχειρηματολογικό και κατά πόσο σε αυτήν την ηλικία διαθέτουν την κριτική σκέψη που απαιτείται για την πραγμάτευση με το συγκεκριμένο κειμενικό είδους. / The present study deals with the teaching of writing and especially with the teaching of argumentative writing. The aim of this study is to investigate if ten years old pupils are able to cope with this genre.

La présente étude consiste à étudier la compétence écrite chez les étudiants de français à l’université de Taëz, au Yémen, par le biais de l’analyse des erreurs dans les productions écrites recueillies dans le cadre d’un corpus spécial élaboré pour cet effet. Bien que le repérage des erreurs d’expression écrite puisse paraître une opération simple et systématique, l’appréhension des mécanismes de production de ces erreurs et l’analyse de leurs véritables raisons constituent la partie immergée de l’iceberg. Pour mener à bien cette investigation, il a fallu établir des catégories opérationnelles dans lesquelles pourront s’inscrire les erreurs significatives relevées, en vue d’une analyse plus étayée. Des concepts opératoires inspirés des travaux didactiques de plusieurs auteurs nous ont permis de mieux cerner les rouages du processus enseignement/apprentissage du français et d’élargir notre perspective de recherche des racines des erreurs tant dans les stratégies d’auto-apprentissage mises en oeuvre par les apprenants eux-mêmes, que dans les conditions du déroulement de l’enseignement dispensé au département de français. Des difficultés grammaticales, syntaxiques, lexicales inhérentes à la langue française du point de vue d’un apprenant yéménite, jusqu’aux problèmes d’inattention, de manque de motivation, de ressources documentaires ou d’exposition à la langue française, en passant par le mode de fonctionnement des cours et les modalités des contrôles, nous découvrons, durant toutes ces étapes de parcours, les différentes sources des difficultés constatées. Lesquelles permettent, d’une part, l’explication du phénomène des erreurs dans la situation particulière qui est celle des étudiants yéménites, et d’autre part, la conception de solutions adéquates susceptibles de remédier à ces erreurs de façon radicale et non seulement symptomatique. Aussi, espérons-nous attirer l’attention de tous les protagonistes impliqués dans le processus didactique, sur les problèmes réels auxquels se heurtent l’étudiant yéménite désireux d’apprendre cette langue ainsi que sur les meilleures approches possibles pour entreprendre les réformes et les traitements nécessaires. / La présente étude consiste à étudier la compétence écrite chez les étudiants de français à l’université de Taëz, au Yémen, par le biais de l’analyse des erreurs dans les productions écrites recueillies dans le cadre d’un corpus spécial élaboré pour cet effet. Bien que le repérage des erreurs d’expression écrite puisse paraître une opération simple et systématique, l’appréhension des mécanismes de production de ces erreurs et l’analyse de leurs véritables raisons constituent la partie immergée de l’iceberg. Pour mener à bien cette investigation, il a fallu établir des catégories opérationnelles dans lesquelles pourront s’inscrire les erreurs significatives relevées, en vue d’une analyse plus étayée. Des concepts opératoires inspirés des travaux didactiques de plusieurs auteurs nous ont permis de mieux cerner les rouages du processus enseignement/apprentissage du français et d’élargir notre perspective de recherche des racines des erreurs tant dans les stratégies d’auto-apprentissage mises en œuvre par les apprenants eux-mêmes, que dans les conditions du déroulement de l’enseignement dispensé au département de français. Des difficultés grammaticales, syntaxiques, lexicales inhérentes à la langue française du point de vue d’un apprenant yéménite, jusqu’aux problèmes d’inattention, de manque de motivation, de ressources documentaires ou d’exposition à la langue française, en passant par le mode de fonctionnement des cours et les modalités des contrôles, nous découvrons, durant toutes ces étapes de parcours, les différentes sources des difficultés constatées. Lesquelles permettent, d’une part, l’explication du phénomène des erreurs dans la situation particulière qui est celle des étudiants yéménites, et d’autre part, la conception de solutions adéquates susceptibles de remédier à ces erreurs de façon radicale et non seulement symptomatique. Aussi, espérons-nous attirer l’attention de tous les protagonistes impliqués dans le processus didactique, sur les problèmes réels auxquels se heurtent l’étudiant yéménite désireux d’apprendre cette langue ainsi que sur les meilleures approches possibles pour entreprendre les réformes et les traitements nécessaires.

Synen på vad som utgör akademisk skrivkompetens varierar över tid och i olika kulturer. Förmågan att strukturera texter på ett logiskt och begripligt sätt kan dock ses som en universell vetenskaplig kompetens oavsett skrivmiljö, liksom förmågan att värdera kunskap och ta ställning i relation till olika källor. Denna studies syfte är att undersöka och kategorisera förekomsten av markörer för textuell organisation och ställnings­tagande i en grupp gymnasieelevers utredande texter samt att undersöka sambandet mellan bruket av dessa markörer och texternas betyg. Studiens korpus består av 18 utredande elevtexter, jämnt fördelade mellan betygen A, C och E. Texterna har analyserats genom kvalitativ närläsning med en analysmodell avsedd att fånga uttryck för textuell organisation och ställningstagande. Resultatet visar att elevernas bruk av organisations- och ställningstagandemarkörer varierar, men att det finns mönster i användandet som har kopplingar till texternas betyg. A-texterna utmärker sig genom en större variation av organisations- och ställningstagandeuttryck än texterna med lägre betyg. Markörer för textuell organisation och ställningstagande används i A- och C-texterna främst för att belysa och jämföra olika perspektiv, medan E-skribenterna i högre grad använder samma markörer för att förklara och ge uttryck för personliga åsikter om ämnet. I materialet som helhet finns få exempel på källkritiska värderingar. En slutsats av resultatet är att eleverna befinner sig olika långt ifrån de normer som kännetecknar akademiskt skrivande. Framförallt E-texterna innehåller drag som inte är funktionella i vetenskapliga sammanhang. Detta väcker frågor om hur undervisningen om akademiskt skrivande bör utformas för att möta elevernas utvecklingsbehov – på såväl språklig som innehållsmässig nivå. / The idea of what constitutes academic writing competence varies through time and in different cultures. However, the ability to structure texts in a logical and comprehensible way can be seen as a universal scholarly competence regardless of writing context, like the ability to appraise knowledge and take a stance concerning different sources. The aim of this study is to investigate and categorize the occurrence of textual organizational markers and stance markers in explanatory texts written by a group of high school students, and to investigate the relation between the use of these markers and the grading of the texts. The corpus of the study consists of 18 explanatory student texts, equally divided between grades A, C and E. The texts have been analyzed through qualitative close reading using an analytical model designed to capture organizational markers and stance markers. The result shows that the students’ usage of these markers varies, but that patterns of usage connected to the grades of the texts can be identified. The A-texts excel through a larger variation of organizational markers and stance markers than the texts given lower grades. In the A- and C-texts organizational markers and stance markers are used primarily to illustrate and compare different perspectives, while in the E-texts the students use the same markers to explain and express personal opinions on the subject. The material as a whole contains very few examples of critical evaluation of sources. A conclusion of the result is that the students are at different distances from the norms that distinguish academic writing. Especially the E-texts contain many features that are not functional in academic contexts. This raises questions about how the teaching of academic writing should be designed to suit the students’ needs for writing development – on the level of language as well as content.

The dissertation thesis is focused on feedback on writing in English lessons, and describes its character and pupil's perception of its comprehensibility. The theoretical part defines feedback as a tool of pedagogical communication, which informs the pupil about the possibilities of improvement and progress and thus shapes pupil's development within the learning process as well as pupil's personality development. The topic of feedback is presented in the context of school assessment and teaching of writing, the issue of error is mentioned as the basis for corrective feedback and an incentive for learning. Also, writing and the specifics of its assessment are discussed. The empirical part, using the qualitative design of the multi-case study, builds on the data obtained by the interviews and the content analysis of the documents. The four case studies of teachers and their pupils illustrate how teachers and pupils perceive (corrective) feedback as a tool of pedagogical communication providing information on the possibilities of improvement and progress. The feedback on writing takes the form of grading (analytical rubrics), corrective feedback in the form of marking mistakes and problematic places in the work, written comments and oral comments when teachers hand the papers over. Pupils see feedback...

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The aims of this Master's thesis are (i) to examine the suitability of using peer-to-peer assessment in teaching writing skills in Czech B1-level courses and (ii) to suggest recommendations for tutors who are considering implementing the method in their Czech classes. The theoretical part is concerned with the description of particular types and forms of assessment and it presents an overview of several studies, focusing on those conducted in the field of ESL teaching. The empirical part focuses on describing the design and execution of the experiment as well as on interpreting its results. The experiment was performed as an intensive online writing course in Czech; the participants were students preparing for a B1-level exam. The investigation aimed at the quality of students' comments and at the implementation degree of their suggestions shows limited effectivity of using peer-to-peer assessment in teaching Czech on B1-level. However, based on the data, the study managed to identify several shortcomings in the way the peer-to-peer assessment method was used and it suggested recomendations for their elimination. If the tutors decide to follow these suggestions this could lead to a more succesful use of the investigated method in teaching.

The purpose of this study determined if a significant relationship existed between the amount of professional development that teachers participated in and the impact on the classroom instruction that followed. The goal was to study the effect that this had on student achievement in the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR) for English 1 and Algebra 1 for students at a large north Texas high school. Testing years for the study included the school years 2013-14, 2014-15, and 2015-16. Additional variables included the work in three areas of teacher professional development over the three-year period. Fourteen teachers, in two subjects, were studied in their implementation of classroom instruction. Particular attention was given to the instructional changes, and the number of hours of professional development in the areas of instruction, technology, and differentiation. Teachers were given opportunities to participate in 18 hours of professional development in all three areas in each of the three years. Teachers were then asked to incorporate the work that they completed each year into their day to day classroom instruction. The goal of the implementation of the professional development in addition to the curricular specifics regarding instruction of state standards was expected to produce increased state scale score marks for the students in the classes. Results of the study indicated success for students in the area of English 1 end-of-course assessment. From the beginning of the study, where student success rates in English state assessment was calculated at 47% overall passing rate, to the completion of the study, where student success was charted at 70% overall passing rate, significant changes were noted. In addition to the improvements made in English I, there were also significant changes made in the approaches to the Algebra 1 assessment. Classroom instructional practices were noted as much improved, and professional learning community collaboration produced significant classroom instructional improvements.