The dimensions of written expression: Language group and gender differences

Babayiğit, Selma

doi:10.1016/j.learninstruc.2014.08.006

Cited by 61 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…Several assessment reports on writing have repeatedly shown that elementary school students do not develop the essential writing skills to be successful in school, thereby signaling the rather basic level of students' writing skills (e.g., Inspectie van het Onderwijs, ; National Center for Education Statistics, ). Furthermore, these reports and numerous other studies have indicated that more female than male students perform at a proficient and advanced writing level (e.g., Babayiğit, ; Troia, Harbaugh, Shankland, Wolbers, & Lawrence, ) and that high‐achieving students perform better in writing narrative texts (Olinghouse, ). Also, Troia et al.…”

mentioning

confidence: 71%

Cognitive and Motivational Challenges in Writing: Studying the Relation With Writing Performance Across Students' Gender and Achievement Level

Smedt

Merchie

Barendse

et al. 2017

Reading Research Quarterly

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In the past, several assessment reports on writing repeatedly showed that elementary school students do not develop the essential writing skills to be successful in school. In this respect, prior research has pointed to the fact that cognitive and motivational challenges are at the root of the rather basic level of elementary students' writing performance. Additionally, previous research has revealed gender and achievement-level differences in elementary students' writing. In view of providing effective writing instruction for all students to overcome writing difficulties, the present study provides more indepth insight into (a) how cognitive and motivational challenges mediate and correlate with students' writing performance and (b) whether and how these relations vary for boys and girls and for writers of different achievement levels. In the present study, 1,577 fifth-and sixth-grade students completed questionnaires regarding their writing self-efficacy, writing motivation, and writing strategies. In addition, half of the students completed two writing tests, respectively focusing on the informational or narrative text genre. Based on multiple group structural equation modeling (MG-SEM), we put forward two models: a MG-SEM model for boys and girls and a MG-SEM model for low, average, and high achievers. The results underline the importance of studying writing models for different groups of students in order to gain more refined insight into the complex interplay between motivational and cognitive challenges related to students' writing performance. I n contemporary society, effective communication skills, such as reading and writing, are essential to communicate in personal and professional contexts. Being able to compose understandable and structured texts is necessary for successfully expressing oneself and is highly valued in professional, educational, and private contexts. Based on the social cognitive model of writing, Graham, Gillespie, and McKeown (2013) defined writing as a goal directed and self-sustained cognitive activity requiring the skillful management of (a) the writing environment; (b) the constraints imposed by the writing topic; (c) the intentions of the writer(s); and (d) the processes, knowledge, and skills involved in composing. (p. 4)

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mentioning

confidence: 71%

Cognitive and Motivational Challenges in Writing: Studying the Relation With Writing Performance Across Students' Gender and Achievement Level

Smedt

Merchie

Barendse

et al. 2017

Reading Research Quarterly

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show abstract

“…Previous evidence revealed that factors such as oral language, spelling and transcription skills bore differential relationships with individual differences in writing quality and productivity (Kim, Al Otaiba, Folsom, Greulich, & Puranik, 2014), however, it is not clear whether they can also explain gender differences in writing. Gender differences, favouring girls, in spelling (Allred, 1990;Babayigit, 2015) and handwriting fluency (Berninger, Nielsen, Abbott, Wijsman, & Raskind, 2008) have been identified, although null effects are also reported in the literature (Williams & Larkin, 2013). Researchers have also explored the extent to which a female advantage in spelling (Babayigit, 2015) or handwriting fluency (Kim, Al Otaiba, et al, 2015) may underpin gender differences in writing productivity and quality.…”

Section: Cognitive and Language Processes And Writingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Gender differences, favouring girls, in spelling (Allred, 1990;Babayigit, 2015) and handwriting fluency (Berninger, Nielsen, Abbott, Wijsman, & Raskind, 2008) have been identified, although null effects are also reported in the literature (Williams & Larkin, 2013). Researchers have also explored the extent to which a female advantage in spelling (Babayigit, 2015) or handwriting fluency (Kim, Al Otaiba, et al, 2015) may underpin gender differences in writing productivity and quality. Kim et al (2015) reported that in children aged 7-8 years the effect sizes associated with gender differences in writing productivity and quality were reduced, although did not disappear, when a range of language and cognitive factors including spelling and handwriting fluency were accounted for.…”

Section: Cognitive and Language Processes And Writingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Whereas some studies report a significant female advantage (e.g. Babayigit, 2015;Beard & Burrell, 2010;Bourke & Adams, 2011;Malecki & Jewell, 2003;Olinghouse, 2008), others do not (e.g. Adams, Simmons, & Willis, 2015;Jones & Myhill, 2007;Williams & Larkin, 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Gender differences tend to be found more consistently in assessments of writing productivity than writing quality (Fearrington et al, 2014;Mäki, Voeten, Vauras, & Poskiparta, 2001). For example, although some studies have found gender differences in both writing productivity and quality (Babayigit, 2015;Kim et al, 2015;Malecki & Jewell, 2003;Olinghouse, 2008), others have found differences only in production-dependent measures or failed to identify gender differences based on indices of text quality (Adams et al, 2015;Jewell & Malecki, 2005;Jones & Myhill, 2007;Williams & Larkin, 2013). Such inconsistencies emphasise the importance of assessing both productivity and quality on the basis of educationally valid aspects of writing performance, in any exploration of factors proposed to underpin gender differences in writing abilities.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Exploring individual and gender differences in early writing performance

Adams

Simmons

2018

Read Writ

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Boys' relatively poor progress in writing development is of particular concern in education with both cognitive and social factors proposed as possible accounts of this discrepancy. This study examined whether differences in cognitive skills such as handwriting and spelling or phonological processing abilities could explain gender differences in early writing. An opportunity sample of 116 children (52 male) ranging in age from 5:0 to 6:7 years were recruited from six UK schools. Tasks assessing vocabulary and letter knowledge, phonological awareness and phonological short-term memory skills were presented to children who were also asked to complete a number of transcription, spelling and writing tasks. Boys tended to produce shorter written compositions containing fewer correctly spelled words which were judged to be of a lower quality than texts produced by girls. However, no significant advantage for girls was identified in their vocabulary, letter knowledge or phonological processing skills, proposed as cognitive underpinnings of writing. Some relationships between phonological skills and aspects of writing differed between boys and girls and these were explored further in multiple regression analyses with gender and these phonological skills included as interaction terms. Gender predicted significant unique variance, independently of cognitive skills, in alphabet transcription and writing quality, although not dictated spelling skills. No associations between phonological skills and writing were moderated by gender. The possible role for environmental, motivational or attitudinal factors in explaining gender differences in early writing abilities should therefore perhaps be explored.

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Relationships between EFL learners' background, motivational, instructional, ICT‐related characteristics, and writing performance: Evidence from 13 educational systems

Huang

2021

Psychology in the Schools

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The present study was carried out to explore whether English as a foreign language (EFL) learners' background, motivational, instructional, and information and communication technologies (ICT)-related characteristics predicted differences in writing performance across 13 educational systems. The multilevel analyses indicated that female, younger learners, and learners with higher socioeconomic status (SES) had better writing performance. School-level SES was a stronger predictor of variability in writing performance than student-level SES. EFL learners who perceived English learning to be less difficult and of more positive value tended to perform better in writing. The relationship between learners' perceptions of teachers' emphasis on cross-linguistic similarities between languages and writing performance was negative. The results also provided evidence on the negative effects of ICT-related characteristics (i.e., ICT use for English learning and ICTfacilities at home) on EFL learners' writing performance.

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The dimensions of written expression: Language group and gender differences

Cited by 61 publications

References 34 publications

Cognitive and Motivational Challenges in Writing: Studying the Relation With Writing Performance Across Students' Gender and Achievement Level

Cognitive and Motivational Challenges in Writing: Studying the Relation With Writing Performance Across Students' Gender and Achievement Level

Exploring individual and gender differences in early writing performance

Relationships between EFL learners' background, motivational, instructional, ICT‐related characteristics, and writing performance: Evidence from 13 educational systems

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