Instructional factors that influence the writing skills of grade 9 students: A single case study

Statewide assessments indicate that most students demonstrate adequate writing skills in high school; however, once they are in college, students often struggle with writing assignments that are more complex and that require higher level analysis and synthesis skills. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the instructional factors, both efficacious and detrimental, that influence writing skills for Grade 9 students at a large suburban high school. The conceptual framework was based on the theory by Lavelle and Zuercher that student writing is influenced by student self-perceptions and teacher perceptions of student writing. This qualitative study was a single case study design. Data were collected from multiple sources of evidence, including interviews, observations, and documents. At the first level of analysis, the specific analytical technique of category construction was used. At the second level, the general analytical technique of theory development was used to analyze the data for patterns, themes, and relationships to determine if the theoretical proposition was supported. The findings of this study indicate that student and teacher perceptions about writing influence the writing achievement of students and that specific instructional practices influence writing success, including clearly defining expectations; creating a safe, open environment; and incorporating a variety of instructional strategies. Implications for positive social change in relation to improved writing instruction at the high school level may include greater writing proficiency at the college level as well as improved written communication for students and teachers at all levels.