The behavior of eleventh graders engaged in extensive and reflexive composing

Abstract

First, the purpose of this study was to determine quantitatively and descriptively what differences occurred in the composing processes of eleventh-graders writing in the extensive mode versus those writing in the reflexive mode. Second, the purpose was to discover what differences in form and content occurred in the writing products of eleventh-graders composing in the extensive mode as compared with students composing in the reflexive mode. In the inquiry, conducted in five secondary classrooms, in Texas, data was collected through a questionnaire on eight aspects of the composing process, through interview procedures, naturalistic observation of adolescents in classroom settings, protocol analysis on two student writers, descriptive profiles of writers, journal excerpts, and sample writings of students. Five teachers participated in the study and 116 students, achieving at grade level and above, from two schools were selected to participate in the study. In Phase 1, after writing a composition, all 116 students responded to a questionnaire by identifying techniques they used to help them plan and manage their writing processes. In Phase 2, the nine Small Group Reflexive Writers responded to interview questions on their composing behaviors. These responses were taped and recorded for the text. In Phase 3, Protocol Analysis, two students composed while being video-taped. After the composing session, the students responded to interview questions on their composing behavior. Writing samples, current compositions, and journal entries on these students were analyzed and reported in profile form. Data in these three phases were analyzed using the Chi-Square Statistic and the Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) where appropriate. Conclusions revealed that there were statistical differences (ANOVA and Chi Square) between questionnaire responses of the 116 writers in the extensive and the reflexive modes in the following areas: (1) Time spent writing the paper--p = .0301*; (2) Time spent re-reading the paper--p = .0208*; (3) The primary audience for the paper--p = .035*; (4) Revising to use precise vocabulary--p = .036*; (5) Revising to emphasize main ideas--p = .000*; (6) Use of outline--p = .000*; (7) Writing of an introduction--p = .000*; (8) Writing a thesis sentence in the introduction--p = .000*; (9) Writing a definite conclusion--p = .025*.