Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Dallas, 2007. / Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 197-203)

Diss. Örebro : Örebro universitet, 2007.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2007. / The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file (viewed on February 15, 2008) Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

The purpose set for this study was to define tentative standards of achievement through the analysis of compositions written by fifth, eighth, and eleventh-grade students in terms of quantity and quality.

This study examines the effects of the computer-assisted text analysis program, WRITER'S WORKBENCH, on writing performance, levels of writing apprehension, students' writing processes and attitudes about using the computer and WORKBENCH for writing. A sample of 275 subjects enrolled in freshman composition were divided into an experimental group (N = 200) who used WORKBENCH in a mandatory computer lab component in addition to their composition course and a control group (N = 75) who received only the course, itself. Because random selection of participants was not possible, a Nonequivalent Control Group design was utilized. Holistic scoring of pre and posttest essays revealed a significant improvement in writing among both groups as a result of the treatments, but there was no significant difference in writing gains between the group using WORKBENCH and the group who did not (p = .942) . Similarly, though both groups demonstrated a small decrease in writing apprehension after instruction, there was no significant difference in the degree of decrease between the two groups (p = .201). Also, the data did not support a relationship between writing performance and apprehension. A 40 item questionnaire was given to the experimental group to determine: 1) attitudes about writing with a computer, 2) how students use WORKBENCH, and 3) students' attitudes about WORKBENCH. Some highlights of these findings are that narrow majorities enjoyed and were comfortable using the computer and WORKBENCH, but substantial minorities dissented or were uncertain. While 60% felt happier with their essays after using WORKBENCH and preferred using a computer to write, 89% of students felt word processing represented the greatest advantage and SPELL was the next most popular feature. Personal interviews conducted with 13 of the most and least apprehensive WORKBENCH users revealed that some students ignored the WORKBENCH analyses, and highly apprehensive students experienced more frustration with the computer, employed different writing processes, used WORKBENCH less often and less skillfully, and expressed more dissatisfaction with the computer.

Orientador: Selma de Cassia Martinelli / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Educação / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-15T09:17:25Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Schiavoni_Andreza_D.pdf: 651612 bytes, checksum: b555c2ba7cc15cf4818966397cb29564 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009 / Resumo: Dada a importância que a escrita de textos ocupa no contexto acadêmico, cujo domínio nem sempre é alcançado por muitos alunos, e a escassez de estudos nacionais que propuseram intervenções na área de produção textual, a presente pesquisa abordou essa temática como foco de discussão. Este estudo, de natureza exploratória e quase experimental, teve como objetivos verificar os efeitos de uma intervenção educativa, baseada em estratégias de planejamento, de tradução e de revisão, sobre a produção de textos de estudantes do ensino fundamental; assim como avaliar se houve modificações na utilização de estratégias para a produção de textos, após a intervenção. Partiu das hipóteses de que os estudantes que participassem dessa intervenção produziriam textos de melhor qualidade, quando comparados àqueles que não participaram; e de que a mesma intervenção proporcionaria uma mudança no repertório das estratégias utilizadas pelos participantes para a produção de textos, no que se refere aos processos de planejar, escrever e revisar. Participaram da pesquisa 28 estudantes do nono ano do ensino fundamental de uma escola pública, dos quais 14 constituíram o grupo controle e 14, o grupo experimental. No pré e no pós-teste foram aplicados dois instrumentos: a produção de um texto narrativo e, em seguida, um protocolo de investigação das estratégias utilizadas para essa produção. Foram realizadas quatro sessões consecutivas de intervenção com o grupo experimental, com duração de 1 hora e 40 minutos cada uma, em que se ensinou a estrutura do texto narrativo e estratégias de planejamento, tradução e revisão de textos. Os resultados indicaram que houve uma melhora significativa na qualidade das produções realizadas pelos participantes do grupo experimental, após a intervenção, confirmando, assim, a primeira hipótese deste estudo. A análise dos protocolos de investigação das estratégias utilizadas para a produção dos textos apontou mudanças importantes em relação às estratégias de planejamento, de tradução e de revisão, que se tornaram mais adequadas, no grupo experimental, após a intervenção. Apesar da curta duração da intervenção realizada, os resultados sugerem que os estudantes podem se beneficiar com a instrução de estratégias para a produção de textos. / Abstract: Given the importance the writing composition has in the academic context, whose mastery is not always achieved by many pupils, and the scarcity of national studies that have proposed interventions in this field, the present research approached this subject as a focus of discussion. The aim of this exploratory and quasi experimental study was to verify the effects of an educational intervention based on planning, translating and reviewing strategies on the text production of elementary school students; as well as to evaluate whether there were changes in the use of these strategies for the production accomplished after the intervention. It started from the hypothesis that the students who participated in this intervention would write higher quality texts in comparison to those who did not participate; and that this same intervention would provide changes in the strategies regarding planning, writing and revising process repertory used by participants for the text production. The participants were 28 ninth grade students from an elementary public school, which 14 composed a control group and the other 14, an experimental group. In the pre-test and in the pos-test two instruments were administered: a narrative text production and then an investigation protocol concerning the strategies applied for this composition. Four consecutive intervention sessions were developed with the experimental group, lasting 1 hour and 40 minutes each and in these sessions the narrative structure text and planning, translating and reviewing strategies were taught. Results indicated that there was a significant improvement in the quality of the texts which were written by the experimental group participants after the intervention, confirming, therefore the first hypothesis of this study. They also pointed that there were important changes in the use of planning, translating, and revision strategies, which became more appropriate in the experimental group to produce the texts after the intervention. Although the intervention was short, the results suggest that students can be benefited from the strategies instruction for text compositions. / Doutorado / Psicologia, Desenvolvimento Humano e Educação / Doutor em Educação

No description available.

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.

No description available.

Four adolescents identified as struggling writers in an English language arts classroom were interviewed about their perceptions of a writing task--how they judged their capability to succeed, how they ranked their passion, persistence, and confidence about writing, and how they responded to classroom activity. Student perceptions of self-efficacy and the related self-beliefs of motivation and interest as well as self-regulation were stated and implied as students described a planning worksheet, instructional scaffolding, peer interactions, and ownership of their writing. Wersch's view of mediated action and Engestrom's model of activity systems were the lens through which the students' descriptions were analyzed. Findings suggested surprisingly high self-efficacy despite low interest, contrasting attitudes between both school writing and their out-of-school writing, and the possibility that students labeled as struggling writers by their teachers may not see themselves as struggling.