The Effects of Peer Collaboration on Community College Freshmen's Writing, Socialization, and Attitudes
The Effects of Peer Collaboration on Community College Freshmen's Writing, Socialization, and Attitudes
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Date
1992
Authors
Thompson, Shirley Mae Smith
Advisor
Slater, Wayne
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Abstract
This was a study investigating the effects of peer collaboration on 15
community college freshmen's narrative writing, on their socialization, and
on their attitudes toward writing during a semester freshman composition
course. One narrative writing sample was collected at the beginning of the
semester and a second was collected near the end of the semester. An attitude
survey also was administered at the beginning and at the end of the semester.
In addition, eleven class sessions during the semester were observed and
audio taped by the researcher. A student in the writing class served as a key
informant to assist in assessing the validity and reliability of the researcher's
observations. Interviews with the teacher were held also. The writing
samples were scored holistically; the attitude surveys were analyzed; and the
researcher's observations and audio tapes were analyzed and interpreted in
concert with the observations made by the key informant and the teacher.
Writing Sample A revealed a 1.86 average score; Writing Sample B revealed a
2.35 average score, a difference of .49. Attitude Survey A revealed a 3.29
mean; Attitude Survey B revealed a 3.75 mean, a difference of .46.
Observations and interviews verified the writing sample and survey results.
Results suggest that peer collaboration may have had a positive effect on
students' writing, their socialization, and their attitudes toward writing.