The Role of Writing in Subject-Area Learning [microform] / Marion Crowhurst

A study examined the attitudes of pre-service secondary teachers toward "writing-to-learn" before and after a compulsory course on language across the curriculum. Subjects, 90 graduates of arts, sciences, social studies, music, business, and physical education programs, recorded their attitudes and understanding of writing to learn at the start of the compulsory 6-week course, developed specific applications of writing activities for their own subject areas, and reported their change in attitudes at the end of the course. The descriptive data indicated that many students had negative or limited views on the role of writing in learning, but that they readily developed ways to incorporate writing into their teaching as the course progressed. Results also indicate that almost without exception, the subjects planned to incorporate writing into their content area teaching. Findings support the conclusions that the subjects were convinced of the value of writing as a means of promoting learning and that some recognized the problems which might inhibit successful implementation of writing to learn. (Fifteen references are attached.) (RS)