An examination of writing practices in the secondary school

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the role of writing in Newfoundland high schools with a view to enhancing and diversifying that role. The writer’s interest in the issue was prompted by an analysis of writing practices and teacher attitudes to writing in one Newfoundland school district (see appendices). This interest led to a review of relevant literature on the role of writing. Since only a very few theses have dealt with writing in Newfoundland high schools, the study includes references to comparable situations throughout the western world. -- the writer was guided by four questions: What is the state of writing in Newfoundlaand high schools? Why should writing be taught? Why is writing not being taught more effectively? What can we do to give writing more prominence in our high schools? -- Answers to these four questions were arrived at through references to literature and to the writer’s personal experiences as a high school teacher. To the first of these questions the writer concludes that writing is not being well taught. To the second question he concludes that writing should be taught by all teachers for the variety of benefits it can bring to students, including self-fulfillment, improved post-secondary opportunities, and most importantly, vastly improved learning of subject matter. -- The third question, of why writing is not used more effectively, revealed these factors, among others: teacher workload, misconceptions about the nature and the need for writing, subject area specialization and the difficulty of evaluating writing. -- In response to the fourth question, the writer has attempted to explain how writing can be given more prominence through teacher education, stress on reading, the development of writing across the curriculum, and renewed evaluation practices. -- The study concludes with a discussion of evaluation of writing as it is and as it should be done and gives recommendations for improving the state of writing.