Developing passionate writers
Developing passionate writers
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Issue Date
2007
Authors
Smith, Corrine
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Abstract
The purpose of this study is to learn from the 'experts' (students) how teachers can better foster a passion for writing among their students. A qualitative research design was used, with the teacher being an active participant (teacher researcher) in the project. A focus group was used to gain insight into students' attitudes, perceptions, behaviors, and motivations as they pertain to writing. The focus group questions were: 1) What does it mean to be a good writer? 2) What do good writers do? 3) How did you get so good at writing? 4) What can teachers do to make kids like writing? 5) What do teachers do that makes kids not like to write? The teacherresearcher developed a coding system for data analysis to draw out major themes of the focus group discussion. Data analysis revealed four major themes: time, sharing, choice, and enjoyment. The findings indicate that allowing students to choose their own topics for writing leads to an enjoyment of and interest in writing. In addition, students must be given sufficient time to write, with ample time devoted to writing on a daily basis. The fourth theme to surface was sharing. Students enjoy sharing their writing and receiving feedback, preferably with their peers. When these essential elements are present, students enjoy writing and are more likely to identify themselves as good writers. Implications for instructional techniques and strategies for cultivating a passion for writing are discussed.
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Teaching