Thesis (Ed.D.)--Boston University / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / 2999-01-01

国立情報学研究所で電子化したコンテンツを使用している。

Writing is necessary to participate in public discourse. Much of today's communication is based on information, yet many students do not adequately learn how to write expository text. Learning to write is difficult, but expository text can be especially difficult as it requires knowledge of both a subject and special text structures. The purpose of this study was to give teachers a research-proven method for teaching students to write expository text and to give more information on how to evaluate students' writing. In this quasi-experimental quantitative research design, the expository writing of students before and after receiving a new science and literacy integrated curriculum combined with specific expository writing instruction was compared. Participants included 71 second-grade students and 3 teachers from a suburban public elementary school in a Mountain West state. Students came from diverse socioeconomic, ethnic, and racial backgrounds. Measures included a holistic rubric that measured statement of purpose/focus and organization and conventions/editing, and an analytic rubric that measured introductions, facts on the topic, conclusions, word count, and the language mechanics of punctuation, capitalization, and spelling. A paired-samples t test of total scores from the holistic rubric showed statistically significant improvement pre-instruction to post-instruction (p < .001, two tailed). A paired-samples t test of total weighted scores from the analytic rubric also showed statistically significant improvement between pre-instruction and post-instruction (p < .001, two tailed). Wilcoxon signed-ranks tests were used to examine the individual elements of each rubric. All rubric elements showed statistically significant improvement except for three elements of the analytic rubric: topic introduction (p = .664), concluding statement (p = .916), and spelling (p = .299). Findings indicated that teachers could use the instruction to successfully teach students to develop content knowledge about an expository topic and write expository text based on that knowledge. The ranks of scores for each rubric were also examined to see how the scores varied based on which rubric was used. The holistic rubric had fewer positive and negative ranks than the analytic rubric, and the holistic rubric had more tied ranks than the analytic rubric. It was therefore determined that the rubrics did not score similarly. Holistic rubrics give an overall impression while analytic rubrics allow the scorer to see the areas in which students excel and the areas which need improvement. Therefore, teachers and researchers should consider their purpose for scoring writing and use the rubric that will appropriately meet that purpose.

This diploma thesis deals with support of speaking competence of children in primary school. It focuses especially on the 5th and 6th grade students and on an expository writing whereas it explicates the basic developmental characteristics of this age group. In its crucial part, diploma comes with a unique set of activities, which could accompany the exercises in the Czech language textbooks used nowadays. Finally, in the closing chapter, the testing of selected activities with a group of 5th grade students is described including an evaluation and a feedback of students. Keywords: speaking competence, primary school, communication education, expository writing, word games, Czech language textbooks

本研究旨在探討文章結構與主題知識對國小學童說明文寫作表現的影響。 正式實驗的受試包括台北縣秀朗國小五年級三個班級共 138名學童，分別 接受文章結構明示、暗示與不提示三種實驗處理，然後受試均各寫一篇對 主題知識熟悉與不熟悉的說明文，依變項為組織結構與內容觀念兩個寫作 表現的成績。研究結果發現，在扣除智力與國語科成績的影響後，在寫作 組織結構的表現上，提示文章結構並沒有幫助，反而是以不提示文章結構 的控制組表現最優；在內容觀念向度的表現上，以暗示文章結構的方式最 有助於寫作表現，而且文章結構的提示方式與寫作主題知識對內容觀念產 出也具有交互作用的效果，當寫作主題熟悉時，暗示文章結構最能提高內 容觀念向度的寫作表現。無論是在內容觀念或組織結構，都是以當寫作者 對寫作主題知識熟悉時的表現優於當寫作者對寫作主題知識不熟悉時，因 此本研究建議，在寫作教學上，教師應該針對學生所熟悉的事物來命題， 同時與其他學科的領域知識相結合，以豐富寫作內容。

This qualitative two-case study draws from the intersection of three theoretical perspectives: sociocultural theory, transactional theory, and complex systems theory. Guided by two research questions, this qualitative study explored the conditions two seventh grade English language arts teachers set for teaching expository writing and their implications. Deductive coding based on seven a priori patterns of powerful writing instruction (empathy, inquiry, dialogue, authenticity, apprenticeship, re-visioning, and deep content learning) revealed six conditions for teaching expository writing. Inductive pattern analysis of these conditions revealed three emergent themes: reinforcing structures, mediating transactions, and balancing tensions. These findings suggest that teaching expository writing is a complex system filled with dialectical relationships. As interdependent pairs, these relationships encompass the entire system of expository writing instruction, including the structural and transactional aspects of teaching and learning to write. The overlapping conditions and themes demonstrate that expository writing appears ambiguous at times; however, routine, yet responsive instruction, framed by apprenticeship and a balance of reading and writing activities designed to inspire self-discovery are fundamental to the process of teaching expository writing. The final chapter includes instructional implications and a discussion about the significance of setting conditions for generative literacy learning. Recommendations for future research include writing research based on complexity theory, connections between expository writing and empathy, and critical thinking relative to critical action.

This study explores Cummins' interdependence hypothesis in the South African context. The design is experimental, involving Zulu primary language writing instruction to explore whether skills taught in Zulu composition classes transfer into English expository writing. The intervention and control groups were drawn from two ex-Model C high schools and the focus was on measuring use of coherence and cohesion in English essays. Quantitative findings showed, although the intervention group's writing skills did not improve significantly, they did not decline. By contrast, the control group's writing skills declined significantly. A more qualitative investigation of the corpus supports the statistical findings. However, because of the limitations of this study, more research is required into Cummins' hypothesis, bilingual programmes and teaching academic writing skills in African languages. It is hoped that this research design will benefit future researchers investigate the current debate about the efficacy of bilingual and multilingual approaches to education. / Linguistics / M. A. (Applied Linguistics)

This study explores Cummins' interdependence hypothesis in the South African context. The design is experimental, involving Zulu primary language writing instruction to explore whether skills taught in Zulu composition classes transfer into English expository writing. The intervention and control groups were drawn from two ex-Model C high schools and the focus was on measuring use of coherence and cohesion in English essays. Quantitative findings showed, although the intervention group's writing skills did not improve significantly, they did not decline. By contrast, the control group's writing skills declined significantly. A more qualitative investigation of the corpus supports the statistical findings. However, because of the limitations of this study, more research is required into Cummins' hypothesis, bilingual programmes and teaching academic writing skills in African languages. It is hoped that this research design will benefit future researchers investigate the current debate about the efficacy of bilingual and multilingual approaches to education. / Linguistics and Modern Languages / M. A. (Applied Linguistics)