1. Improving Expository Writing through Objective Setting and Performance Appraisal: Writing by Objectives.
- Author
-
Zarzana, Sylvester J.
- Abstract
A pilot writing program was tested on 15 Florida eleventh graders, who had been placed in basic level classes and who believed themselves to be poor writers. After interviews with teachers and students, three practicum objectives were developed: (1) after 12 weeks, 80% of the target group will score a minimum of 3 on short composition assignments; (2) after 12 weeks, 80% will include an acceptable formal sentence outline and thesis statement with their assignments; (3) at the end of 12 weeks, 100% will demonstrate a working knowledge of at least 3 organizational strategies for writing. The implementation plan was based on the belief that the same effective organizational skills practiced by business and institutional managers could be employed in the target group's writing program to convey the concept of effective organization skills. Generally, results indicated improvement in student writing scores. More specifically, 86% of students scored a 3 or higher on the week 11 writing assignment, indicating successful attainment of objective 1. With regard to the second objective, results showed that all 12 students had included at least an adequate and at best a masterful sentence outline. With regard to the third objective, all 12 students were able to identify at least 3 different organizational strategies. Additionally, the researcher's records of each student's organizational agreement revealed a specifically chosen organization strategy and effectively developed paper based on said strategy. (Contains 16 references and 12 appendixes containing pre- and posttest results, a formal outline paradigm, questionnaires and results, an organization agreement, and a checklist.) (TB)
- Published
- 1995