The Effects of Rhetorical and Content Subgoals on Writing and Learning

ABSTRACT

Argument writing is challenging for elementary students. Previous experimental research has focused on scaffolding rhetorical goals, leaving content goals relatively unexplored. In a randomized experiment, 73 students in grades 5, 6, and 7 wrote persuasive texts about difficult-to-classify vertebrates. Each student received one of three sets of writing prompts: a persuasive goal only (control); a persuasive goal + rhetorical-subgoal prompts; or a persuasive goal + content-subgoal prompts. Rhetorical subgoals increased text quality, variety of rhetorical moves, number of complex propositions, and classification knowledge. Content subgoals increased the number of simple propositions in text. A path analysis indicated that content-subgoal prompts and rhetorical-subgoal prompts elicited different paths to writing and learning.

KEYWORDS:

• Argumentation
• cognitive processes
• science learning
• writing
• writing goals
• writing to learn

Acknowledgments

The researchers wish to thank the research officers, administrators, teachers, and students of the Thames Valley District School Board and the London Catholic District School Board for their help with this project.

Funding

This research was supported by the Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada, Insight Grant 435-2012-0687.