TAI # 8 Nature and Extent of Student Challenge

Share your findings about the nature and extent of the student challenge. Make sure it is clear what evidence from your inquiry supports each finding.

My posts in the month of April primarily focused on gathering and reporting detailed information on my learners' writing profiles using the inquiry tools that I chose. In a detailed way I showed both some quantitative and qualitative information about my learners' writing needs which helped unfilded the nature and extent of their writing challenge. In my last post, I expressed my burdensome feeling in identifying the gap and challenge in writing my English language learners have to bridge in order to have equity with mainstream learners or first speakers of English.

In this post I aim to share a key summary of my findings which should help reflect the nature of the student challenge in writing. Table 1 below shows a summary of quanitative information gathered about the learners. 

Table 1: Quantitative Information
Inquiry Tool	English Language Learning Progression (ELLP)
Findings
All learners in my inquiry group have similar background experiences to English language use before they arrived in New Zealand. They all had limited exposure to English in their non-English speaking countries, but they all started to learn English as a subject when they started formal schooling. Learners in my inquiry group are at different stages and abilities in their writing, ranging from foundation to stage 3 - 1 at foundation, 4 at stage 1, 2 at stage 2, and 1 at stage 3. These reflect their different abilities in the specific skills of - topic development, sentence development and language structures, vocabulary development, script development, editing, spelling, and punctuation.
Teaching & Learning	This information should be considered and incorporated into the teaching/learning classroom experiences.
Used as baseline data  at end of year	This baseline data will be used for comparison at the end of the year to identify any increase in the learners’ writing ability.

Table 2 below provides a summary of qualitative and formative information gathered using a questionnaire to survey the perceptions of my learners toward writing and formative assessment using their first writing drafts on writing an expressing opinions. These information are categorized using the achievement criteria of the NCEA English writing achievement standard offered and the areas of learners' perceptions and areas of needs. This unity identifies the extent and nature of writing needs to be addressed in order for the learners to increase their writing proficiency.   

Table 2: Qualitative and Formative Information
Inquiry Tool used: Questionnaire Survey  Inquiry Tool: Formative Assessment (Learners’ First Writing Drafts)
Cognitive Linguistic Focus
Achievement  Criteria 1	Areas for Teaching & Learning Focus	Specific Learning Needs (Problem Areas)		Perceptions toward writing
Produce a selection of crafted and controlled writing which develops, sustains, and structures ideas	Teach information and ideas on the topic	New Zealand Identity The Treaty of Waitangi Racism		- When I write in English, I stop many times to think about what to write - I have trouble focusing ideas (arguments) that are related to the points that I am trying to make Lack ideas - I have difficulty generating ideas for my writing
	Teach how to develop and structure ideas	Thesis statement Writing logically & systematically  Organizing ideas Writing introductions;  body paragraphs; conclusion Writing closing sentences or comments to paragraphs Summarizing ideas to conclusion Coherence Topic sentences   Paragraph structure		- I have difficulty writing a thesis statement - I feel that I have trouble writing logically and systematically in English. - I have difficulty organizing ideas - When writing an English essay, I have trouble writing an introduction, some paragraphs to make my points, and a conclusion - I have difficulty writing closing sentences for my paragraph - Sometimes I start writing something, then in the end I write something else - I have difficulty summarizing my larger argument into a conclusion - It’s easy for me to keep my English writing going and write smoothly (20) - It’s easy for me to write my ideas into English paragraphs (20) - t’s easy for me to get started writing an English essay (21)
Achievement Criteria 2	Areas for Teaching & Learning Focus	Specific writing elements to teach		Perceptions toward Writing
Produce a selection of crafted and controlled writing using language features appropriate to the audience and purpose to create effects.	Teach language features appropriate for purpose and audience	Variety of sentences types  Sentence fragments Word choice (vocabulary) Run-on sentences Spelling Grammar - Prepositions, articles,  Sentence structure Transitional words and phrases Punctuation Metaphoric words - idioms		- I write short and simple sentences (6) - I am aware of what sentence fragments are, but I still use them (6)  - I have difficulty with word choice (9) - I know what run-on sentences are, (9) - I have difficulty spelling correctly...(11) - I have difficulty using prepositions (12) - I have difficulty using articles (15) - I have difficulty with word order in English sentences (15) - I find it difficult to go from one paragraph to another with smooth, well-connected transitions (15)  - I have difficulty using punctuation (16) - I use few idioms (22)
Psychological/Emotional Items
Other Teaching Approaches	Areas of Focus	Specific strategies for teaching		Perceptions to writing
The Total Learner	Psychology and Emotions of the learners	Teacher feedback Use of technology Confidence as an ESOL student Motivation on writing Confidence in writing		- I like to share my English writing with my English teachers...feedback - I like to use computer technology (such e-mail, online discussion or internet) in my writing class - I feel confident as an ESOL student at school - I have anxiety (worry) about writing in English - I have low confidence in English writing
Social/Cultural Items
Other Teaching Approaches	Areas of Focus	Specific strategies for teaching		Perceptions to writing
The Total Learner	Social and cultural contexts of the learners	Social relationships and connections with other ELLs First Language experiences Writing in the first language Connection with native English speakers		-  like to give feedback and suggestions to other people’s English writing - I feel comfortable with sharing my English writing with other ELL students - I have difficulty adjusting my way of writing in my native language writing to New Zealand thought patterns. - I am a skillful English writer - I feel comfortable with sharing my English writing with native English speakers

To sum up this post, I feel that the writing needs of English language learners (ELLs) in my inquiry group are multi-faceted. They are cognitive-linguistic, psychological-emotional, and social-cultural in nature and extent. That means the teaching and learning of writing by these learners should be related to those areas of their lives and experiences. On top of that, the achievement criteria of the NCEA writing achievement standard requires these ELLs to be able to write at a particular level with certain writing knowledge and skills. Most definitely, I can say that it is not an easy task to teach these learners to address theese needs and requirements. It is a complex process, it would take time, and most certainly challenging!