Grammar for Writing? The impact of contextualised grammar teaching on pupils' writing and pupils' metalinguistic understanding.
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Exeter
Department Name: Sch of Education and Lifelong Learning
Abstract
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Organisations
Publications
Wyse, Dominic; Andrews, Richard; Hoffman, James
(2010)
The Routledge International Handbook of English, Language and Literacy Teaching
| Description | The headline finding is that effectively embedded grammar teaching can have a significant impact on student writing performance. The intervention group (n=412) improved their writing scores over the year by 11.52%, which contrasts with a mean outcome of 6.41% for the comparison group (n=332). So overall, and ignoring the effect of any other covariates, a simple two-sample t-test suggests a highly significant (p<0.001) positive difference of 5.11 percentage marks for the intervention in terms of improvement in writing attainment. Further analysis indicates that the benefit was experienced differentially: the most able writers in the intervention benefited most, and able writers in the comparison group made no significant improvement over the year. Our data cannot provide firm evidence about why this is the case but the qualitative data suggests that the aspects of grammar we focused on were more relevant to the developmental needs of able writers than weaker writers. Refining the teaching materials to match more closely the writing needs of an individual class might alter this effect. It is also possible that the use of metalanguage was too abstract for weaker writers and did not help them transfer learning in lessons into their own writing. Highlighting grammatical features and patterns without using metalanguage may be more advisable for this group. However, these hypotheses need further research, both qualitative and quantitative, to provide better understanding of how to embed grammar purposefully in the teaching of writing. In addition, the statistical data indicates that both teacher linguistic subject knowledge and teacher experience are factors in the success or otherwise of the embedded teaching of grammar. The qualitative data, drawn from the observations and interviews, also indicates: q The significance of teacher subject knowledge of grammar on the effect of the teaching q The beneficial effect of the explicitness of the teaching schemes q The beneficial effect of opportunities for discussion and experimentation with effect q The development of metalinguistic awareness in the intervention group |
| Exploitation Route | Implications for policy and practice The research provides evidence for the first time of a positive benefit of teaching grammar when the grammar is linked meaningfully to the writing. The significance of the effect is strong, providing robust evidence for the effectiveness of this approach. The implications for policy makers and practitioners are outlined below. Teaching Implications: • Teachers should consider embedding grammar in the teaching of writing, making connections for writers between a particular grammar feature and its possible effect in writing. • The choice of grammar focus should be relevant to children's writing needs, so weaker writers will need different input from abler writers. • The attention to grammar should be explicit, clearly explained and linked to meaning and effect, not the naming or identification of grammatical features. • The use of talk is a constructive way to develop metalinguistic understanding - teachers should encourage discussions about writing choices and the different effects of different grammatical choices. • The incorporation of grammar into writing lessons should foster writer awareness of a repertoire of possibilities, not a formulaic approach to writing or obedience to norms. CPD Implications: • Teacher subject knowledge of grammar is fundamental to the successful use of contextualised grammar: a CPD programme of support should be developed to enhance teacher subject knowledge • Applied linguistic knowledge is equally important: more resources and CPD provision are needed to develop confidence in studying language in context. |
| Sectors | Education |
| URL | http://socialsciences.exeter.ac.uk/education/research/centres/centreforresearchinwriting/grammar-teacher-resources/ |
| Description | They have been used to: - change teachers' understanding of the role of grammar in teaching writing; - develop professional development courses; - change how pre-service teachers are trained in teaching grammar and writing; - inform public discussion about grammar through media interviews/articles. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2017 |
| Sector | Education |
| Impact Types | Societal |
| Description | Grammar for writing : shaping policy and practice |
| Amount | £77,340 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | ES/J00037X/1 |
| Organisation | Economic and Social Research Council |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2011 |
| End | 08/2012 |
| Description | Teachers as Writers |
| Amount | £79,554 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Arts Council England |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2015 |
| End | 07/2017 |
| Description | Grammar and writing : how integrated grammar teaching supports writing development |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Private Seminar to the Department for Education: 15.12.11 I was subsequently invited to act as expert advisor on the development of the grammar tests and to participate in seminars reviewing assessment descriptors for writing in the revised National Curriculum. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2011 |
| Description | Grammar matters : how teacher linguistic subject knowledge impacts on the teaching of writing |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Keynote delivered at University of Auckland, New Zealand, outlining research findings and challenging accepted practitioner views of the place of grammar in the curriculum. After this keynote, I had requests for further information and access to the teaching materials. One teacher at the conference secured a month's leave from school to visit us in England (in 2015) to secure better understanding of how this approach improves writing. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |
| Description | The best words in the best order : grammar as a creative tool for literacy. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | This was a requested summary of the research for teachers, published on an online resource bank (Teach-it) accessed by thousands of teachers. Publication was followed by numerous requests for further information and for CPD workshops in schools. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2010 |
| URL | http://www.teachit.co.uk/custom_content/newsletters/newsletter_oct10.asp#3 |
| Description | The role of teacher linguistic subject knowledge in the teaching of writing |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Keynote talk delivered at University of Wollongong, Australia sharing research findings and links with curriculum changes in Australia. Following the keynote, several audience members requested access to the teaching materials. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2012 |
| Description | Weaving words : students' thinking about poetry |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Seminar in ESRC Seminar Series: Poetry Matters The presentation led to request for further professional workshops. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2011 |
| Description | Writers as designers |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Workshop leader at the annual conference for the National Association of Advisors in English. Many teachers subsequently used the materials and pedagogical practices sparked by the workshop. Following the workshop, substantial email traffic ensued asking for further information or booking further Continuing Professional DEvelopment courses in school. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |