Improving writing through evidence-based teaching

Writing plays a crucial role in educational achievement in general and the successful transition from primary to secondary school. The aim of the present quasi-experimental study was to investigate the effect of a writing intervention on primary students’ writing performance and writing motivation. The sample included 846 children (Grades 3-4) across nine schools. The intervention was delivered through students’ regular teachers, with teachers in the experimental group participating in a multi-component professional learning intervention (PLI) focused on evidence-based teaching of writing, emphasizing a Scaffolded Process Approach that highlighted process-oriented instruction with feedback, and supports such as modeling. The practices were implemented by teachers in their regular classrooms. We assessed text length and writing quality through texts produced in response to picture prompts, which were administered at three time points (pre-, post-, and follow-up). In addition, we measured self-efficacy and writing enjoyment (pre-post). The data were analyzed using multilevel modeling with children nested within classes. The findings revealed a significant effect on narrative writing quality from pre-to post-test, and learning gains were largely sustained on the follow-up assessment. Text length and writing self-efficacy increased in both the experimental and the control group, while there was a small decline in writing enjoyment. Overall, the teacher-led intervention positively influenced writing quality. We further discuss the results concerning student motivation and treatment fidelity, underscoring the central role of teachers in supporting writing growth. • We investigated the effects of a teacher-led intervention on narrative writing. • Teachers in the experimental group participated in professional development. • The focus was on process-oriented writing, feedback, and modeling. • Students in the experimental group outperformed those in the control group. • No beneficial effect on motivation was found.