Michigan State University Extension
Diversity and Pluralism - DP120375
12/95/
ERIC TITLE NUMBER: ED234417 AUTHOR: Gay, Pamela
TITLE: How Attitude Interferes with the Performance of
Unskilled College Freshman Writers. Final Report.
YEAR PUBLISHED: 1983
NOTE: 164 p.
ABSTRACT: A case study approach was used to explore the
sources of negative attitudes toward writing of three
unskilled college freshman writers. The studies included
interviews both with the students concerning their writing
histories and with their former high school English
teachers. In addition, information was gathered about their
verbal abilities and their high school grades. The data
were examined for patterns that would explain the
cumulative development of the students' negative attitudes
toward writing, at least through high school and the
beginning of college. Analysis of the data indicated that
the three students held many misconceptions about the
nature of writing that contributed to their negative
attitudes and appeared to hinder the development of their
writing abilities. For these students, writing appeared to
be outer-rather than inner-directed--they wrote primarily
to please the teacher and earn a grade rather than to
please themselves and to learn. Overall, the findings
suggested that the students' atttudes toward writing were
shaped by their teachers' attitudes. (Appendixes contain a
copy of the writing sample placement test used at the
students' college, excerpts from student and teacher
interviews, and excerpts of comments on student work made
by consultants.)
(Author/FL)
KEY DESCRIPTORS: Case-Studies; College-Freshmen; Higher
Education; Writing-Apprehension; Writing-Skills
KEY DESCRIPTORS: *Negative-Attitudes; *Student-Attitudes;
*Teacher-Attitudes; *Teacher-Influence; *Writing
Instruction; *Writing-Research
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