Using Writing Checklists as a Metacognitive Strategy

Abstract

This study was conducted by the author in the current school of employment. It was a single-subject study analyzing how students' writing performance changed or did not change with the implementation of a pre-writing and post-writing checklist. Six English Language Learners (ELLs) participated in the study. They were given a pre/post writing assessment, and six weeks of writing instruction. The students were given alternating treatment, where one week, three of the students received the intervention, and the other three weeks they received no treatment. Each week, the group of students receiving the intervention would alternate. Their data was graphed individually to track changes (if any) from week to week and to determine if scores increased or remained the same during treatment weeks. Students’ editing was also analyzed in this study. For this research, productively editing was defined as being able to make structural edits instead of just grammatical edits during the drafting period. Structural edits are making changes to the way sentences are worded as well as making sure the content is accurate and clearly explained to the reader. This study is still ongoing, but will be complete by the time of the ARC research conference.