A comparison of writing performance of fifth-grade students using the Process Writing approach and the Shurley Method.

摘要

Scope and method of study. The purpose of this study was to compare the writing performance of fifth grade students who were taught explicit grammar rules in isolation using the Shurley Method with fifth grade students who were taught grammar within the context of authentic writing. Sixty-four students participated in the study, including 16 students in a Process Writing classroom, 19 students in a Process Writing/Textbook classroom, 12 students in a Process Writing/Shurley Method classroom, and 17 students in a Shurley Method classroom. During the 17-week study, two narrative/descriptive writing samples were gathered, one in January and one in May, from each participant. The writing samples were evaluated for writing performance with holistic scoring. Additionally, two different writing attitude instruments, a scale designed by Reigstad and McAndrew (1984) and a survey designed by the researcher, were both administered to each participant at the beginning and the end of the study. The writing sample scores and the writing attitude scores were analyzed for differences between the four groups through the use of basic descriptive statistics and repeated measures of analysis of variance.; Findings and conclusions. The writing sample analyses showed no statistically significant group effect and no statistically significant change in performance between the two samples. Furthermore, the writing attitude scale showed neither statistically significant differences between groups in writing attitude nor statistically significant change in writing attitude. The writing attitude scale did not indicate that one group's attitude was more positive than another's attitude. The writing attitude survey indicated that most of the writers in all four groups perceived themselves to be writers. However, the Shurley Method group reported spending less time on writing than the other groups whereas the Process Writing group reported writing more often. Based on these findings, it would seem that each writing method was equally effective. The findings of this study offer support for prior research, which has established that formal grammar instruction does not improve writing performance.