<Research Notes>Teaching Argumentative Writing through a Process-focused Instruction: The Effects of the Prewriting Activity on Student Perceived Learning

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  • <研究ノート>思考整理に焦点をあてた協働的ライティング活動の試み--プレライティング活動が学生の学習に及ぼす影響--
  • 思考整理に焦点をあてた協働的ライティング活動の試み : プレライティング活動が学生の学習に及ぼす影響
  • シコウ セイリ ニ ショウテン オ アテタ キョウドウテキ ライティング カツドウ ノ ココロミ : プレライティング カツドウ ガ ガクセイ ノ ガクシュウ ニ オヨボス エイキョウ

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Abstract

This article describes an exploratory study investigating the effects of prewriting activities on students' perceptions of their own learning. The author implemented a process-focused activity in a project-based English program during the spring semester of 2016, and here discusses the findings of the study. The participating students were 80 sophomores in the College of Life Sciences and Pharmaceutical Sciences. The students were provided with two support worksheets to logically organize their critical thoughts and arguments prior to the start of the writing task. During the process, they conducted a core writing task, in which key concepts and a logical order were identified, and then developed an organizational structure for writing an academic paper. Web-based questionnaires, including a free description element, were conducted before and after the prewriting process, in order to evaluate the participants' perceived achievements. The results demonstrated that the process had a positive influence on students' perceptions of their learning. The author therefore concludes that the prewriting activity did enhance students' learning. This empirical study illustrates that prewriting activity can refocus students' attention on the fundamentals of an academic paper: the importance of establishing an argumentation with logical flow, and of strengthening the linkage between sentences. Furthermore, the process-focused activity improves students' cognitive processes, and activates their ability to think analytically. Indeed, said cognitive ability may become a potential resource to improve their writing in the future. It is therefore suggested that the teaching of argumentative writing should take a more process-focused approach.

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