The language of science, which emphasizes reasoning about the causes and conditions of scientific phenomenon and use of visuals to convey information, can be difficult for young readers and writers without a lot of teacher scaffolding (Pappas and Varelas 2009). It is important that teachers understand these linguistic requirements to support…

Through a study of collaborative writing at a student advocacy nonprofit, this article explores how writers distribute their text planning across tools, artifacts, and gestures, with a particular focus on how embodied representations of texts are present in text planning. Findings indicate that these and other representations generated by the…

This article addresses writing in higher education with the primary aim of conceptualizing writing as a mediational tool. The conceptual framework consists of three concepts: "learning trajectories," "mediation," and "recontextualization." The article describes how writing can work as a mediational tool and suggests…

Introduction: Writing is a tool for constructing and modifying knowledge. However, it is not easy to evaluate spontaneous writing tasks. In the present study, we selected and analysed a series of quality indicators to assess spontaneous or productive writing, examining the level of difficulty of the indicators and the relationship between the…

Effectively constructing a confident authorial stance and framing one's argument in the context of the ongoing scholarly conversation are important skills for writers to acquire as they gain expertise writing in an academic discipline. Construction of an effective authorial stance is complicated by conventions of avoiding first-person pronouns in…

The authors examine the possibilities and challenges of integrating writing instruction into an interdisciplinary general education curriculum. The authors analyze the results of a 2017--18 academic research project that explored how students perceive themselves as writers, and how both students and faculty perceive the role of written…

This three-article dissertation explored tutors' perceptions of online writing tutoring. Article One is a literature review of writing programs, culmination with a discussion of online writing tutoring. Article Two is a qualitative case study that investigated how tutors perceive their work using both asynchronous and synchronous modes of tutoring…

School administrators have the challenge of providing high-quality education in all subject areas. Along with this task, administrators must wade through countless programs, curriculums, while ensuring that student needs are met along with required state and local test scores. While the focus on reform has been in math and science, writing…

Students with writing difficulties may have difficulty when writing informational text with source material due to (a) inexperience with such text and (b) difficulties reading and understanding source material. Teaching students to take notes related to informational text using text structures (e.g., description, compare/contrast) may help them…

This study examined the impact of a mobile-based writing intervention with embedded self-regulated learning strategies on the persuasive writing performance and perceived self-efficacy beliefs of fifth-grade struggling writers in five inclusive classrooms. In addition, the study examined the impact of adult feedback on the writing performance and…

This body of work contains three articles that support the need for K-12 teachers to write professionally and personally. The research sought to explore the questions of initial influences to write, essentials to sustain writing and the relationship of teacher-writer development to self authorship. Much of the previous literature produced by…

The purpose of this mixed-method study was to explore the effects of the use of gamification on students' motivation and engagement in the college environment. The study drew from three theoretical principles: Self-determination theory, new literacy studies, and behaviorism. The study was conducted at Washington State University on two English…

This paper describes an action research question focused on how explicit instruction in reading, coupled with culturally responsive teaching, can affect the confidence levels of African-American male ninth-graders regarding their reading comprehension abilities. The research question seeks to illustrate the benefits of using explicit instruction…

The goal of this article is to share how the authors implemented a summer learning experience designed for the benefit of teachers and students simultaneously at Clear Creek Independent School District in Texas. They facilitated what John Hattie's research recommends: "a community of teachers [that] work together to ask the questions,…

Standardized testing and accountability are currently unavoidable components of Texas Public Education. Through years of push-back, parents and educators have demanded that Texas consider alternative testing options that would reduce the high-stakes testing burden on students and schools. In 2015, the State of Texas passed legislation requiring…