Becoming a teacher of writing: Primary student teachers reviewing their relationship with writing
Abstract
This article investigates the extent to which Year One B.Ed student teachers arrived at university already possessing self-confidence as writers. Both quantitative and qualitative methods of data collection were used to identify students' self perceptions and confidence as writers and their understanding of processes of written composition. The article argues that to consciously engage student teachers in the writing process and to require them to reflect on that process can lead to their self efficacy as writers. Evidence from this study suggests one's self-confidence, as a writer, is enhanced by explicitly engaging in self reflection of one's own approaches to writing. The findings have implications for course design of literacy components in teacher education internationally.
Reference
Gardner, P. (2014). Becoming a teacher of writing: Primary student teachers reviewing their relationship with writing. English in Education, 48(2), 128-148.
Journal
English in Education
Analysis
Is this article part of a larger project or series of studies?
no
Does this study draw on a large, preexisting data set?
no
Research Approach
Geographic Setting
Institutional Context
Certification Level
Programatic Focus
Research Location Context
- Language arts methods
- University
Preservice Participants
- Undergraduates (university based program)
Preservice Sample Size
115
Duration of Data Collection
Data Sources
- Focus group discussions
- Reflective journals
- Survey
- writer's notebooks
Data Analysis Tools
Researcher Positionality
Research Questions
What view did students have of themselves as writers before and after the writing workshops?
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Yes
What did students learn about compositional processes as a result of being positioned as writers?
Is this research question explicit from the manuscript? Yes