Date of Award
12-2017
Culminating Project Type
Thesis
Degree Name
English: English Studies: M.A.
Department
English
College
College of Liberal Arts
First Advisor
Judith Kilborn
Second Advisor
Carol Mohrbacher
Third Advisor
Renee Strom
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Abstract
Within the past ten years, the poor condition of writing in American high schools has been lamented in the media and academic studies. Those studies tend to focus on student writing results, student-reported opinions and attitudes, and college professor anecdotal evidence and typically leave out the voices of Minnesota’s teachers. This study examines the opinions, attitudes, and practices of English/Language Arts teachers in Minnesota.
The literature review provides background information on national test scores, writing modes, instructional practices, and issues found in writing instruction. The methodology reflects data collection techniques on the key areas of modes and types of writing done, the frequency of writing completed, and what was creating barriers to writing instruction. The findings include discussion of both qualitative and quantitative measures in each of those areas. Finally, suggestions to address issues raised in the findings section are given at teacher, school, professional organization, and governmental levels.
Recommended Citation
Meagher, Jennifer, "Teachers’ Perspectives on the State of Writing in High School English Classrooms" (2017). Culminating Projects in English. 112.
https://repository.stcloudstate.edu/engl_etds/112
