The Impact of Peer and Adult Formative Feedback on Writing Identity in Advanced Placement Composition Courses

Faculty Mentor(s)

Dr. David Van Heemst

Project Type

EdD Colloquium - ONU

Scholarship Domain(s)

Scholarship of Discovery, Scholarship of Teaching and Learning

Presentation Type

Presentation

Abstract

Online presentation: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7795013240
Zoom Room ID: 779 501 3240

The College Board designs their courses to “cultivate the reading and writing skills that students need for college success and for intellectually responsible civic engagement” (AP Central, 2019, para. 1). As such, high school English teachers implement best writing instructional practices. However, most English teachers agree that a student’s authorial identity- how a student defines him/herself as a writer- is crucial to become a good writer and that mastery of writing is connected to “adolescents seeing themselves as writers” (Hasty & Hauptman, 2019, p. 28). However, many students do not see themselves as writers (Hasty & Hauptman, 2019). In this study, the researcher addressed the problem that high school students do not perceive themselves as good writers. The purpose was to understand how feedback from peers and adult tutors during the formative phases of writing impacted a writer’s sense of writing identity and agency. The focus was regarding writers’ perceptions of their writing skills, the agency to improve their skills, and the impact on these perceptions as a result of conversations with tutors. The purpose and focus called for a qualitative, phenomenological approach to explore the writing growth of high school students and the extent to which dialogue and feedback impacted their perceptions. Based on the findings, the four conclusions are that students needed time to sharpen their grammar skills in order to feel like a writer; students’ writing identity was strengthened when they discussed their process and their topic; students’ experiences with formative feedback boosted their confidence in their writing abilities, thus making them feel like a writer; and students’ concept of what it means to be a writer expanded after having conversations about writing. As such, the following implications can guide writing teachers in the instruction of writing: a) devote time in class to write; b) allow time for writers to offer their own explanations and ask individual questions about writing during the formative stages; c) give specific, encouraging comments that motivate students to apply the feedback; and d) include a discussion of the complexity and creativity of ideas.

Permission Type

Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

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The Impact of Peer and Adult Formative Feedback on Writing Identity in Advanced Placement Composition Courses

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Online presentation: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/7795013240
Zoom Room ID: 779 501 3240

The College Board designs their courses to “cultivate the reading and writing skills that students need for college success and for intellectually responsible civic engagement” (AP Central, 2019, para. 1). As such, high school English teachers implement best writing instructional practices. However, most English teachers agree that a student’s authorial identity- how a student defines him/herself as a writer- is crucial to become a good writer and that mastery of writing is connected to “adolescents seeing themselves as writers” (Hasty & Hauptman, 2019, p. 28). However, many students do not see themselves as writers (Hasty & Hauptman, 2019). In this study, the researcher addressed the problem that high school students do not perceive themselves as good writers. The purpose was to understand how feedback from peers and adult tutors during the formative phases of writing impacted a writer’s sense of writing identity and agency. The focus was regarding writers’ perceptions of their writing skills, the agency to improve their skills, and the impact on these perceptions as a result of conversations with tutors. The purpose and focus called for a qualitative, phenomenological approach to explore the writing growth of high school students and the extent to which dialogue and feedback impacted their perceptions. Based on the findings, the four conclusions are that students needed time to sharpen their grammar skills in order to feel like a writer; students’ writing identity was strengthened when they discussed their process and their topic; students’ experiences with formative feedback boosted their confidence in their writing abilities, thus making them feel like a writer; and students’ concept of what it means to be a writer expanded after having conversations about writing. As such, the following implications can guide writing teachers in the instruction of writing: a) devote time in class to write; b) allow time for writers to offer their own explanations and ask individual questions about writing during the formative stages; c) give specific, encouraging comments that motivate students to apply the feedback; and d) include a discussion of the complexity and creativity of ideas.