A Reflexive Approach to Teaching Writing: Enablements and Constraints in Primary School Classrooms

Abstract

Writing requires a high level of nuanced decision-making related to language, purpose, audience, and medium. Writing teachers thus need a deep understanding of language, process, and pedagogy, and of the interface between them. This article draws on reflexivity theory to interrogate the pedagogical priorities and perspectives of 19 writing teachers in primary classrooms across Australia. Data are composed of teacher interview transcripts and nuanced time analyses of classroom observation videos. Findings show that teachers experience both enabling and constraining conditions that emerge in different ways in different contexts. Enablements include high motivations to teach writing and a reflective and collaborative approach to practice. However, constraints were evident in areas of time management, dominance of teacher talk, teachers’ scope and confidence in their knowledge and practice, and a perceived lack of professional support for writing pedagogy. The article concludes with recommendations for a reflexive approach to managing these emergences in the teaching of writing.

Türkiye'de Yazma Müdahalelerinin Etkililiğini İnceleyen Lisansüstü Tezlere Yönelik Bir İçerik Analizi

“…Despite these differences, the primary goal of all writing instruction programs is to implement effective practices that enable students to become good writers. Successful learning is closely related to factors such as teachers' knowledge of the components, subareas and skills to be improved in writing instruction (Güneş, 2020), the development of a deep understanding of the writing process and pedagogy (Ryan et al, 2021), knowledge of past writing paradigms and approaches that have been effective for teaching writing and mastery of writing-related terminology. In addition, acquiring knowledge about teaching writing and applying that knowledge in conjunction with pedagogical principles is critical to effective writing instruction.…”

E-Portfolios for self-regulated and co-regulated learning: A review

“…These cognitive composing strategies served as additional online resources to enable students to self-monitor and self-adjust their writings in order to close learning gaps. Also, the process approach facilitated reflective thinking and evaluative judgments that support co-regulation and self-regulation of learning reciprocally ( Nicol et al, 2019 ; Ryan et al, 2021 ). With that said, teacher scaffolding was still needed amid this learner-centered approach, especially for young learners with limited exposure to self-regulated learning instruction.…”

Teaching creative writing in primary schools: a systematic review of the literature through the lens of reflexivity

“…Such decisions require a certain amount of reflection or at times deeper reflexive judgments by both teachers and students. Consequently, we draw on Archer's (2012) critical realist theory of reflexivity to guide our review as research shows that reflexive thinking in practice can improve writing outcomes (Ryan et al, 2021). Archer (2007) highlights how reflexivity is an everyday activity involving mental processes whereby we think about ourselves in relation to our immediate personal, social, and cultural contexts.…”

“…norms, expectations, ideologies, values) conditions. Therefore, teachers play an important role in facilitating the interplay of these conditions for their students and recontextualising curricula and policy (Ryan et al, 2021). For example, by enabling students' agency and creating an authentic purpose for writing, teachers can balance the personal conditions of students (such as their motivation and interest) against the structural effects of the curriculum requirements.…”