Abstract
After third grade, students’ motivation and enjoyment of writing begins to wane, and this trend continues through most of their education. Middle grade students especially need high-quality writing instruction; however, many teachers report feeling inadequately prepared to teach writing. To combat these issues, teacher preparation programs should understand how their preservice teachers feel about writing and teaching writing. The present study surveyed 150 middle grade preservice teachers to determine their self-efficacy beliefs about writing and writing instruction. Results indicate that preservice teachers valued writing, but did not feel confident with many specific aspects of writing instruction.
Highlights
Across all grade levels, writing challenges students (Bangert-Drowns, Hurley, & Wilkinson, 2004; Miller, Scott, & McTigue, 2018; Yost & Vogel, 2012)
As one of the primary sources of training and pedagogical knowledge comes from preservice teacher preparation programs, the present study examines middle-level preservice teachers’ beliefs about writing and teaching writing
Great variation existed in which elements of writing they felt most confident in teaching and which elements of writing caused them the most anxiety in teaching
Summary
Across all grade levels, writing challenges students (Bangert-Drowns, Hurley, & Wilkinson, 2004; Miller, Scott, & McTigue, 2018; Yost & Vogel, 2012). According to a 2016 What Works Clearinghouse Practice Guide, writing instruction in middle and secondary contexts should include: (a) explicitly teaching writing strategies using modeling, practicing, and reflecting; (b) integrating reading and writing; and (c) using assessments to inform instruction and provide feedback to students (Graham et al, 2016). While these recommendations provide global guidelines for enhancing writing instruction in middle grades classrooms, many teachers report concerns that limit their ability to implement such practices. The study analyzes quantitative and qualitative data from the Preservice Teacher Self-Efficacy for Writing Inventory (PTSWI) to determine beliefs about writing, teaching writing, and teaching writing elements
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