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Project Details
Funding Scheme : Early Career Scheme
Project Number : 24621518
Project Title(English) : Hong Kong primary school students’ use of self-regulated writing strategies and effects of a strategy-based writing intervention  
Project Title(Chinese) : 香港小學生使用的自主學習寫作策略探索和介入 
Principal Investigator(English) : Prof Bai, Barry 
Principal Investigator(Chinese) :  
Department : Dept of Curriculum & Instruction
Institution : The Chinese University of Hong Kong
E-mail Address : barry.bai@cuhk.edu.hk 
Tel : 39431306 
Co - Investigator(s) :
Panel : Humanities, Social Sciences
Subject Area : Education
Exercise Year : 2018 / 19
Fund Approved : 531,828
Project Status : Completed
Completion Date : 31-12-2021
Project Objectives :
Identifying self-regulated writing strategies used by 4th and 5th graders in Hong Kong primary schools
Identifying contributions of self-regulated writing strategies to writing competence for 4th and 5th graders in primary schools
Enhancing primary 5th graders’ writing competence through an intervention on their use of self-regulated witting strategies
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。
Realisation of objectives: All project objectives have been successfully achieved.
Summary of objectives addressed:
Objectives Addressed Percentage achieved
1. Identifying self-regulated writing strategies used by 4th and 5th graders in Hong Kong primary schoolsYes100%
2. Identifying contributions of self-regulated writing strategies to writing competence for 4th and 5th graders in primary schoolsYes100%
3. Enhancing primary 5th graders’ writing competence through an intervention on their use of self-regulated witting strategiesYes100%
Research Outcome
Major findings and research outcome: The participants were found to use a wide range of self-regulated writing strategies, including self-initiation, planning, text-generating, self-monitoring and management, revising, acting on feedback. They reported a medium level of SRL strategy use; they used planning strategies most frequently, and self-initiation and revising strategies least frequently. Revising strategies are found less favored among Hong Kong primary students. The findings suggest that the students spent little efforts on their own to improve their English writing. The findings suggested noticeable differences among the grade levels in terms of SRL writing strategy use, but the students of different grade levels did not differ in their use of half of the strategies (i.e., planning, text-generating, and acting on feedback). The 5th graders used SRL writing strategies significantly less frequently than the 4th . In terms of motivation (i.e., interest, task values, and growth mindset), first, the participants reported a low level of interest and collaborative learning in English writing. Second, significant differences in the motivational variables and SRL writing strategy use between the high and low achievers were identified. Third, the motivational variables, especially self-efficacy and growth mindset, were crucial for SRL writing strategy use. However, it is unexpected that interest negatively predicted acting on feedback. Regarding English teachers’ writing instruction, the participants reported that their teachers executed process-based instruction (e.g., teaching writing at the three different stages) at a high frequency. In contrast, the primary school participants reported their SRL strategy use at only a moderate frequency, which indicates a general gap between teachers’ writing instruction and their students’ adoption and employment of the taught self-regulated writing strategies. The intervention phase of the project measured the changes to the participants’ level of motivation in English writing and e-learning acceptance. The findings suggest that the intervention achieved a significant effect on the participants’ use of all four types of SRL writing strategies. In terms of motivation, both their interest and self-efficacy increased although self-efficacy failed to reach a significant level (p = .052). For the four subscales of e-learning acceptance, the students’ perceived usefulness, attitude, and continuance intention improved significantly, but their perceived ease of use did not see a significant improvement (p = .16). The intervention can be considered successful. For publication 7, acknowledgement of the RGC funding was not made due to the tight publication deadline and the editor misplaced the information.
Potential for further development of the research
and the proposed course of action:		 The participants reported that their English teachers did teach various self-regulated writing strategies at a high frequency. However, the participants reported only a medium level of use of all types of self-regulated writing strategies. Such findings highlight the importance of bridging the gap between instruction and learning. Future research should aim to investigate what instructional approaches and conditions can improve students’ adoption and employment of writing strategies besides the motivational factors (e.g., interest, self-efficacy and growth mindset) of students. Therefore, I plan to carry out some observations in different types of primary schools to find out what factors/conditions/approaches may facilitate students’ adoption and employment of self-regulated writing strategies more effectively. Special attention will be paid to English teachers’ continuing professional development, classroom routines, cultures, and actual teaching plans in order to map out the factors/conditions.
Layman's Summary of
Completion Report:		 The project identified a wide range of self-regulated writing strategies that facilitate primary school students’ English writing, including self-initiation, planning, text-generating, self-monitoring and management, revising, acting on feedback. The more frequently students use these strategies, the better English writing results they may achieve. The project also found that students’ use of self-regulated writing strategies was influenced by a series of motivational factors (e.g., interest, self-efficacy, growth mindset and task values). In other words, all these motivational variables may result in students’ more frequent use of the strategies if English teachers use strategies to boost students’ motivation. However, there was a gap between English teachers’ instruction and students’ use of strategies. Although English teachers may teach the strategies frequently, their students’ may not use them as frequently. Therefore, it is important to find out what factors/conditions may further promote students’ adoption and use of the strategies, besides boosting their motivation.
Research Output
Peer-reviewed journal publication(s)
arising directly from this research project :
(* denotes the corresponding author)
Year of
Publication		 Author(s) Title and Journal/Book Accessible from Institution Repository
2020 Barry Bai, Bin Shen*, Hong Mei  Hong Kong primary students' self-regulated writing strategy use: Influences of gender, grade level, and writing proficiency  Yes 
2020 Barry Bai, Jing Wang*, & Youyan Nie  Self-efficacy, task values, and growth mindset: What has the most predictive power for primary school students’ self-regulated learning in English writing and writing competence in an Asian Confucian cultural context?  Yes 
Barry.Bai, Wenjuan Guo*, & Chuang Wang  Relationships between struggling EFL writers’ motivation, self-regulated learning (SRL), and writing competence in Hong Kong primary schools  No 
2020 Bin Shen, Barry Bai*, & MoonYoung Park  Exploring Hong Kong primary school students’ writing motivation: Relationships between writing self-efficacy and task value  Yes 
Barry Bai, Jing Wang*, & Huixuan Zhou  An intervention study to improve primary school students’ self-regulated strategy use in English writing through e-learning in Hong Kong  Yes 
2021 Wenjuan Guo, Barry Bai* & Huan Song  Influences of process-based instruction on students’ use of self-regulated learning strategies in EFL writing  Yes 
2021 Barry Bai*  School writing in Hong Kong: Current status and issues  No 
Recognized international conference(s)
in which paper(s) related to this research
project was/were delivered :
Month/Year/City Title Conference Name
Xi'an, China Influences of motivation (e.g., growth mindset and self-efficacy) and self-regulated learning ESL/EFL Learners’ English Learning  International Conference on Effective learning and Development of Diverse English Language Learners 
Online Bai, B., & Wang, J. (2022, April 21 - 22). The role of motivational variables on collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking (3Cs) in ESL/EFL writing.  2022 CAERDA International Conference 
Online Bai, B., Guo, W. J., Wang, J., & Shen, B. (2022, April 21 - 26). Struggling EFL writers' motivation, self-regulated learning, and writing competence in Hong Kong primary schools.  2022 AERA Annual Meeting 
Online Bai, B., Wang, J., & Shen, B. (2021, April 8 - 12). Relations between Hong Kong students' motivational beliefs, self-regulated learning strategy use, and English writing achievement.  2021 AERA Annual Meeting 
Online Shen, B., Bai, B., & Wang, J. (2021, April 8 - 12). Exploring Hong Kong primary students' English writing motivation: Relationships between writing self-efficacy and task value.  2021 AERA Annual Meeting 
Toronto Bai, B. (2019). Profiling low achievers’ English writing: Relations between motivation, strategy use and English competence. Paper presented at the 2019 CAERDA International Conference: Empowering educational research to promote equity: Generating data-driven conversations to improve educational practice, 4-5 April, 2019, Toronto, Canada.  2019 CAERDA International Conference 
Other impact
(e.g. award of patents or prizes,
collaboration with other research institutions,
technology transfer, etc.):
Realisation of the education plan:
  SCREEN ID: SCRRM00542