Action Research on Paragraph Writing Instruction to Enhance the Writing Competence of Third-Grade Elementary Students: Focusing on the Threaded Models and Curriculum-Based Measurement

Purpose: This study aimed to improve the writing competency of third-grade elementary school students with classroom instruction by integrating multiple subjects through paragraph writing using Fogarty’s Threaded Model. The Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM) was employed to repeatedly assess students’ writing performance, providing data for improving teaching and learning practices. The purpose of this research was to examine whether students’ writing competency improved quantitatively and qualitatively through the teacher’s reflective practice. Methods: This study applied an action research method, in which a teacher facing a problem in the field takes the initiative to explore and reflect on their own practices to solve the issue. The first cycle of implementation involved eighteen third-grade students in the researcher’s class during the 2023 academic year. The second and third cycles involved nineteen third-grade students in the 2024 academic year. As part of the subject lessons, students practiced “one-paragraph writing per day” in a paragraph writing notebook for content summarization. To assess students’ current writing levels and track progress through teacher interventions, a “Paragraph Writing Competency Assessment Tool” was developed and used for repeated measurement. Results: In the first implementation, fourteen out of eighteen students (77.7%) showed improvement in writing fluency (quantitative change), and their ability to include paragraph elements in their writing improved from the baseline to the maintenance phase (qualitative change). In the second and third implementations, seventeen out of nineteen students (89%) showed improved writing fluency, with continued progress in incorporating paragraph elements, increased use of transitional expressions, and the use of various content development strategies. Conclusion: This study provides empirical evidence for enhancing the writing competency of third-grade students both quantitatively and qualitatively. It explores applicable classroom strategies in public education that offer high-quality writing experiences and promote students’ writing development.