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Increasing attention has been paid in recent years to the ways writing may engage adolescents in higher levels of epistemic complexity (i.e., postulating causes, reasons and other relations or theories related to scientific phenomena), yet in secondary science classrooms, writing has primarily been used for assessing students' content knowledge. Em...
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... level three symbolic writing samples demonstrated well-organized descriptive information. For example, a sixth grade EL from Texas produced an elaborate diagram of the geological dimensions and relationships between igneous and sedimentary rock and how geological forces, such as volcanic activity, produce molten material ( Figure 2). This piece was indexed at level three as the student did not only list terms, but also connected these terms by providing details as to their relationships. ...
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... To respond to our second research question, regarding students' modes of participation, two case study students' written products were examined for evidence of the influence of key events through intertextual tracings (Newell et al., 2021;Wynhoff Olsen et al., 2018). In addition, epistemic complexity of the written products (Wilcox et al., 2015) provided a way to characterize how the writing functioned as an instrument for knowledge representation. This analysis was based on a scale from simple descriptions of scientific phenomena to increasingly more complex explanations of relationships of phenomena and analyses of phenomena that include arguments. ...
... Delucca] asked us to write based on the questions he gave us." We used two different approaches to interpret the report: (a) intertextual connections (Bazerman, 2004) to consider the multiple sources drawn upon during the unit, and (b) epistemic complexity (Wilcox et al., 2015) to study the extent to which the lab reports included arguments to explain phenomena and postulate causes, reasons, and other relations or theories related to scientific phenomena. Below is William's lab report with each message unit numbered for our reference purposes: ...
This study explores one teacher's instructional method for teaching life sciences using argumentation and argumentative writing rather than simple templates for writing claims and evidence. The microethnographic discourse analytic case study reported here included the teacher and 26 “advanced” eighth-grade students in a suburban middle school. Nine consecutive video-recorded lessons and related data were analyzed, focusing on how the teacher and students constructed the theory of evolution during instructional conversations about evidence and reasoning and about the content of students’ written arguments on the theory. The teacher created a context in which students developed arguments with teacher support to ensure that they were learning to use argumentation as a heuristic to understand concepts and to engage in argumentative practice central to doing science. The modes of participation of two case study students are contrasted to explore two different trajectories and to examine particular cases of writing a lab report.
... Otro tanto cabe afi rmar en lo relativo al aprendizaje en la educa- ción en ciencias ( Halliday and Martin, 1993;Sanmartí, 1996Sanmartí, , 2007; Wäschle, K., Gebhardt, A., Oberbusch, E.-M, and Nückles, M., Wilcox, Yu, and Nachowitz, 2015;Roni y Carlino, 2017). Estos autores postulan que el lenguaje es una herramienta fundamental que se usa para clasifi car, descomponer y analizar, explicar, y exponer las ave- riguaciones a que llega un científi co. ...
... Por ello, la escritura es principalmente un recurso de aprendizaje ya que gran parte del conocimiento que se produce se genera y se difun- de a través de textos que se escriben y se leen (Rose and Martin, 2012;Camps y Castelló, 2013). En este sentido, la escritura cumple una fun- ción epistémica ya que es una herramienta idónea para aprender, en cuanto que el proceso de producción textual favorece la transformación de las estructuras cognitivas del escritor ( Balgopal and Wallace, 2013;Bereiter and Scardamalia, 1987;Klein and Rose 2010;Wilcox, Yu, and Nachowitz, 2015), a la vez que es un instrumento de representación del conocimiento (Chuy, Scardamalia and Bereiter, 2012). ...
Este trabajo recoge aportaciones muy valiosas generadas como resultado del XXI Encuentro Internacional de Investigación Educativa y II Encuentro Internacional de Comunicación Pública de la Investigación Educativa: Lectura, escritura y matemáticas, textos y contextos. Literacidades en el mundo actual, en el marco de la Feria Internacional del Libro en su edición número 31. El solo hecho de que se realice este encuentro ya por más de dos décadas habla de que la investigación académica no puede estar separada de la difusión general de la cultura. La universidad y las editoriales, entre otras de las instituciones encargadas de generar conocimiento y ofrecerlo al mundo, caminan juntas en medio de un paradigma donde parece lidiarse una batalla entre las librerías e Internet; entre la biblioteca y la computadora; entre las fuentes impresas y las electró-nicas, tanto en lo que se refiere a la búsqueda de ese conoci-miento como a su publicación, y es justamente la necesidad social de leer lo que justifica la existencia de esta condición. Con referencia a su estructura este libro contiene 9 capitu-los, los cuales incluyen ensayos, reportes de investigación y revisión de estudios diversos. En ellos se plantea la relación entre la lectura, la escritura y las matemáticas como objetos de aprendizaje en distintos niveles educativos, así como las diver-sas nociones sobre los conceptos de literacidad y alfabetización.
... Otro tanto cabe afi rmar en lo relativo al aprendizaje en la educa- ción en ciencias ( Halliday and Martin, 1993;Sanmartí, 1996Sanmartí, , 2007; Wäschle, K., Gebhardt, A., Oberbusch, E.-M, and Nückles, M., Wilcox, Yu, and Nachowitz, 2015;Roni y Carlino, 2017). Estos autores postulan que el lenguaje es una herramienta fundamental que se usa para clasifi car, descomponer y analizar, explicar, y exponer las ave- riguaciones a que llega un científi co. ...
... Por ello, la escritura es principalmente un recurso de aprendizaje ya que gran parte del conocimiento que se produce se genera y se difun- de a través de textos que se escriben y se leen (Rose and Martin, 2012;Camps y Castelló, 2013). En este sentido, la escritura cumple una fun- ción epistémica ya que es una herramienta idónea para aprender, en cuanto que el proceso de producción textual favorece la transformación de las estructuras cognitivas del escritor ( Balgopal and Wallace, 2013;Bereiter and Scardamalia, 1987;Klein and Rose 2010;Wilcox, Yu, and Nachowitz, 2015), a la vez que es un instrumento de representación del conocimiento (Chuy, Scardamalia and Bereiter, 2012). ...
Este capítulo analiza distintos enfoques de investigación y sus resultados respecto de concepciones de escritura académica y aprendizaje en estudiantes universitarios y argumenta la relevancia de desarrollar investigación científica en México sobre dicha temática.
... Measuring epistemic complexity is one method for analyzing depth of student understanding from written products (see, for example, Hakkarainen, 2003;Kelly & Takao, 2002;Zhang, Scardamalia, Lamon, Messina, & Reeve, 2006). The categories of epistemic complexity used in this analysis are slightly modified from these earlier studies and taken directly from recent work studying the epistemic complexity of students' science writing (Wilcox, Yu, & Nachowitz, 2015). The author coded randomly selected, mathematical writing samples identified as short-answer exercises (n = 294) on a five-point scale moving from unsupported statements (low complexity), through explanation and description, to the highest level evidencing argumentation (claims and counterclaims). ...
Using a national sample of students’ writing from the National Study of Writing Instruction, this study examines the current state of writing in the mathematics classroom and the extent to which enactments align with the intentions established in the research base and curricula articulated by NCTM and the CCSS–M. Over 3,000 writing assignments from 138 students in grades, 6, 8, 10, and 12 were analyzed for functions of writing and epistemic complexity—the degree to which they explained or justified mathematical understanding. Additionally, shortanswer assignments were analyzed qualitatively for patterns in teacher-assigned prompts and student responses. Analyses reveal enactments of writing in the mathematics classroom do not align with the intent articulated by the CCSS-M. Mirroring techniques from the literacy field, a method for scaffolding students’ improved ability to write about conceptual understanding in mathematics is discussed.
... To classify these writing to learn strategies according to the functions (i.e., mechanical, informative, personal, and imaginative) identified by Applebee (1981), we obtained a scoring manual used for this purpose in a study by Wilcox et al. (2015). We then sorted the 43 strategies into the four functions, using the definitions and examples provided in the manual. ...
A random sample of middle school teachers (grades 6–9) from across the United States was surveyed about their use of writing to support students’ learning. The selection process was stratified so there were an equal number of English language arts, social studies, and science teachers. More than one-half of the teachers reported applying 15 or more writing to learn strategies at least once a month or more often. The most commonly used writing to learn strategies were writing short answers to questions, note taking for reading, note taking while listening, and completing worksheets. While teachers reported using a variety of writing to learn strategies, most of them indicated they received minimal or no formal preparation in college on how to use writing to learn strategies to support student learning, less than one-half of teachers directly taught students how to use the writing to learn strategies commonly assigned, and the most commonly used writing to learn strategies did not require students to think deeply about the material they were learning. We further found that teachers’ reported use of writing to learn strategies was related to their preparedness and the composition of their classroom in terms of above and below average writers, English Language Learners, and students with disabilities.
This paper highlights the perspectives of first-generation students of color in their first year of college, and the ways in which they exercised agency in their writing. Framed by definitions of agency as mediated action that creates meaning, the paper reports on qualitative data collected from a summer writing program for first-generation students and students of color, and from writing samples and follow-up interviews with six students who participated in the summer program. Findings suggest that students in their first year of college leveraged their social and discoursal identities to offer new ways of understanding an issue. They also wrote using a translingual approach, integrating different discourses and forms of knowledge, and challenging views of academic writing as monolithic. The findings also suggest the link between awareness and action, meaning that what and how students wrote were informed by their awareness of writing and awareness of themselves as writers and cultural beings. The study’s findings have implications for advancing more nuanced views of agency and academic literacies, and redesigning writing instruction at the high school and college level.
In most assessments of students’ argumentive writing and in most research on the topic, students write on topics for which they have no specific prior preparation. We examined development in the argumentive writing urban middle school students did as part of a two-year dialogic-based intervention in which students engaged deeply with a series of topics and participated in various kinds of electronic and verbal dialogic activities related to the topic. Students’ achievements exceeded those typical of the extemporaneous expository writing of middle school students. The gradual developments observed over time included ones in (a) addressing and seeking to weaken the opposing position, (b) identifying weaknesses in a favored position and strengths in an opposing one, (c) connecting and integrating opposing arguments, and (d) using evidence to weaken as well as support claims. In addition to identifying a trajectory of what develops in the development of argumentive writing, these analyses support the claim of dialogic argumentation as a productive bridge to individual argumentive writing and highlight the contribution of deep engagement with the topic in enhancing writing.
Research on writing to learn is conceptually rich and pedagogically important. This special issue contributes to our growing knowledge about the variables that mediate and moderate the effects of writing on learning. One group of studies addresses individual writing; it adds to the growing evidence for the effects of several moderators, including cognitive, metacognitive, and personal utility prompts in journal writing (Wäschle et al.); and discipline-specific prompts for argument writing (Van Drie et al.). The individual-level studies also suggest moderator roles for discipline-general strategies of argumentation (Smirnova); and open-ended informational writing assignments (Wilcox et al.). Additionally, the Wäschle et al. study provides the strongest evidence for a specific sequence of mediation: Prompted journal writing to comprehension to interest to critical reflection. The second set of articles focusses on collaborative writing (Corcelles & Castelló; Ortoleva and Bétrancourt). It suggests moderating roles for discipline-specific analytic strategies, and peer interaction; and suggests mediating roles for exploratory discourse and group regulation. Further experimental research on collaborative writing is needed to conclusively test hypotheses about specific mediator and moderator variables. The studies in this special issue, like many recent studies, are incommensurable with some influential theories of writin g to learn. Rather, individual and collaborative studies converge to suggest that writing to learn may be conceptualized as a guided process of cognition and self-regulation.
