Theses and Dissertations from UMD
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New submissions to the thesis/dissertation collections are added automatically as they are received from the Graduate School. Currently, the Graduate School deposits all theses and dissertations from a given semester after the official graduation date. This means that there may be up to a 4 month delay in the appearance of a give thesis/dissertation in DRUM
More information is available at Theses and Dissertations at University of Maryland Libraries.
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Item The Effects of Honors Ninth-Grade Students' Strategic, Analytical Reading of Persuasive Text Models on the Quality of their Persuasive Writing(2007-01-22) Beach, Jennifer Anne; Slater, Wayne H.; Curriculum and Instruction; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of the analysis and imitation of persuasive text models on the persuasive writing quality of ninth-grade honors students. Two intact ninth-grade honors classes participated in an instructional treatment of thirteen lessons designed to teach persuasive writing strategies through explicit instruction and collaborative learning. The experimental group examined, analyzed, and imitated persuasive models as part of the instructional unit. The comparison group studied the same persuasive writing strategies through explicit instruction and collaborative learning, without the analysis of text models as part of their instruction. Both qualitative and quantitative data was collected during the study. Pre- and posttest persuasive writing samples were compared using two persuasive writing scoring instruments, the NAEP Grade 12 Persuasive Scoring Guide, and a researcher-designed persuasive trait analytic scale. Additionally, four purposefully selected students from each class were interviewed for the study, and their pre- and posttest writing samples were examined in conjunction with their interview responses. An analysis of the scores on the pre- and posttest writing samples revealed that the mean score for each group increased on the holistic scale. The experimental group had a higher mean gain on the holistic scale than the comparison group, but the results were not statistically significant. Of the six persuasive strategies measured by the researcher-designed persuasive trait analytic scale, only the audience awareness category showed significant results. The students' attitudes toward persuasive writing instruction, as determined by the interviews, were overwhelmingly positive. One surprising finding was that students held misconceptions about the concept of text models and their use in writing instruction. The interviews also revealed that students found explicit instruction in persuasive strategies to be helpful to them as they completed persuasive writing tasks. The findings from the present study indicate that the analysis and imitation of persuasive models has a significant positive impact on students' ability to appeal to an audience in their writing. The results of this study indicate that more research is needed on the use of writing models as an instructional tool for teaching persuasive writing at the secondary level.Item The effects of Collaborative Strategic Reading and direct instruction in persuasion on sixth-grade students' persuasive writing and attitudes(2005-07-07) Standish, Leisa Gaye; Slater, Wayne H; Curriculum and Instruction; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)This study examined the effects of Collaborative Strategic Reading and direct instruction in persuasion on sixth-grade students' persuasive writing and attitudes. Students in three intact classes were assigned to one of three treatment conditions: Collaborative Strategic Reading and direct instruction in persuasion or direct instruction in persuasion or a control group. Treatment effects were examined using six measures of persuasive writing: the Adapted Toulmin Scoring Criteria (claim, data and backing); coherence and organization; five-paragraph structure; and essay length. In addition, the Writer Self-Perception Scale was administered to assess the relationship between students' attitudes toward writing at the beginning of the study and at its conclusion. Finally, three students from each treatment condition in the study were observed and interviewed for the case study. Analyses revealed significant findings. First, the students engaged in Collaborative Strategic Reading and direct instruction in persuasion performed significantly better on all six measures of persuasive writing than students in the other two treatment conditions. During the case study, the same students were observed to spend more time on task and were engaged more than students in the other two treatment conditions over the six-week intervention when working in collaborative groups. In the direct instruction in persuasion group, students did not perform significantly better on the six measures of persuasive writing compared to the other two treatment conditions. However, the students in the case study indicated that direct instruction in persuasion does benefit their writing. Finally, students' attitudes toward writing in all three treatment conditions were not found to change significantly from pre-test to post-test but the students' responses in the case study indicated that if students have positive attitudes about their writing they will most likely write more often and more effectively. Overall the findings from the present study suggest Collaborative Strategic Reading and direct instruction in persuasion is a powerful combination for teaching students to write persuasively. However, more research is needed to determine the effects of direct instruction on persuasion and students' attitudes toward writing. Limitations of the present study and directions for future research are presented.