Abstract as per original application
(English/Chinese): |
English language writing is an important literacy skill for learners of English as a second/foreign language (ESL/EFL). However, research shows that writing is the most difficult skill to master for English language learners and that English language teachers need guidance in instructional practices to enhance their teaching of English writing (Wang, Schwab, Fenn, & Chang, 2013). In Hong Kong, the situation is especially true because English serves as an EFL but at the same time English is an important subject in schools (Wang & Kirkpatrick 2013).
This proposed study uses a quasi-experimental design and has two phases: exploration and intervention. In Phase One, think-alouds will be conducted with 20 primary school students to explore the self-regulated writing strategies used by primary students in Hong Kong. A comprehensive literature review on self-regulated writing strategies used by ESL/EFL students will also be undertaken. Based on the data from the think-aloud protocols and literature review, a questionnaire of self-regulated writing strategies will be designed and piloted with around 250 primary school students. Unreliable items will be removed to enhance the reliability. The main questionnaire survey will be administered to around 500 4th and 5th graders. This phase is to identify the self-regulated writing strategies (e.g., attending to audience and reading back what has been written, planning, text-generating and revising) that contribute to writing competence. During Phase Two, self-regulated writing strategies found significantly correlated to writing competence in Phase One will be taught to around 250 students for 10 weeks. Another 250 students of a similar English proficiency will serve as the control group. Classroom observations and meetings with the teachers will be conducted on weekdays to seek feedback and to examine their implementation fidelity. Pre- and post-intervention writing tests and questionnaires will be administered to find out if their students can achieve better writing competence and improvements in use of self-regulated writing strategies.
This project will make significant contributions by adding to ESL/EFL writing research. It seeks (a) to find out what self-regulated writing strategies primary students use in an EFL context, i.e., Hong Kong; (b) to investigate how self-regulated writing strategies contribute to writing competence; and (c) to improve Hong Kong primary school students’ English language writing competence through strategy-based instruction (SBI) for self-regulated writing strategies.
對於以英語為第二語言或外語(ESL/EFL)的學習者，寫作是一項十分重要的技能。不過，研究指出對於英語學習者來說，寫作技巧是最難掌握的，而且英語教師需要切實教學實踐的指導，以提升他們的英語寫作教學(Wang, Schwab, Fenn & Chang, 2013)。在香港，情況尤其如此，因為英語不但是外語，同時亦是學校中重要的科目(Wang & Kirkpatrick 2013) 。
這項提議研究採用準實驗設計(qusai-experimental design)，分為兩個階段：探索和介入。
在第一階段，首先會邀請20名小學生參與有聲思維 (think-alouds)，從而探索香港小學生使用的自主學習寫作策略。另外會進行一個全面性的文獻回顧，探討有關以英語為第二語言或外語學習者的自主學習寫作策略。根據有聲思維法 (think aloud protocols) 所收集的數據和文獻探討，設計一份有關自主學習寫作策略的問卷，並邀請約250名小學生進行測試(pilot)。不可靠的問卷項目會被刪除，以提高問卷的可靠性。主要的問卷調查會有約500名小四和小五的學生參與。這個階段的目的是識別有助於提升寫作能力的自主學習寫作策略 (例如：關注讀者、閱讀已寫部分、計劃、文本寫作和修改)。
在第二階段，250名小學生會學習在第一階段確認與提升寫作能力顯著相關的自主學習寫作策略，為期十星期。另外，250名具有相近英語水平的學生將成為研究的控制組。觀課和教師會議將在平日進行，以便尋求反饋並檢查教師實施研究計劃時的準確度(implementation fidelity)。這研究亦會利用介入前後的寫作測試和寫作策略問卷調查，以確定學生是否可以達到更好的寫作能力和改善自主學習寫作策略的使用。
該項目將通過增加以英語為第二語言或外語寫作研究做出重大貢獻。它尋求（a）找出小學生在外語背景的地方，如香港，會使用什麼的自主學習寫作策略（b）調查自主寫作策略與於寫作能力的相關性; （c）透過以策略為基礎的教學方法 (SBI) ，讓香港小學生學習自主學習寫作策略使用，以提升他們的英語寫作能力。
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