Quality Analysis of English Writing Skills Competency among Grade Four Students

Authors

  • Tashi Teacher
  • Namgay Wangmo
  • Deki

Abstract

Writing is one of the most important strands of the English curriculum generally a pre-conceived difficulty even among the language teachers in Bhutan. Although no action research (AR) has been done to validate this topic with writing difficulties in the research school, this AR seeks to find out particularly the standard of English of grade four children and to analyze the factors affecting quality writing. Writing is considered the most important skill for language production. However, students face many challenges in quality writing due to the consideration of language difficulty. Therefore, this AR analyzes the writing quality of grade four children through error analysis (EA) and to study effective methods to improve quality writing. For this purpose, two sections comprising of 30 students each from four sections were chosen for analyzing the quality writing through EA. Writing samples were collected from 60 students to investigate the major problems in their writing through a diagnostic test. After the analysis of EA, the intervention program was designed with different strategies to improve quality writing. Furthermore, the target groups were evaluated on intervention effectiveness through the post-test. The findings exhibited that the major problems among grade four students were appropriate command over the use of tenses, word order, vocabulary, spellings, capitalization, and lack of ideas in the writing process. Besides, the study analyzed the factors affecting quality writing through focus group discussions and free form questionnaire provided to language teachers as the informants.

References

Al-Khasawneh, F. (2015). The Patterns of Vocabulary Learning Strategies Employed by EFL Learners at Jordan University of Science and Technology. A PhD Thesis, University Utara Malaysia, Kedah, Malaysia.

Bhutan Council for School Examination and Assessment (BCSEA). (2013). A Study of Student Achievements in English Literacy and Mathematics Literacy at Grade X. Thimphu: Ministry of Education.

Byrne, D. (1996). Teaching writing skills. UK: Longman Group.

Dorji, J. (2005). Quality of education in Bhutan: The story of growth and change in the Bhutanese education system. Phuntsholing, Bhutan: KMT.

Gould, J.S., & Gould, E.J. (1999). Four Square: Writing Method for Grades 4-6; A Unique approach to teaching basic writing skill320s. Dayton: Teaching and Learning Company.

Grundy, S. (1995). Action research as professional development. Occasional Paper. No.1. Canberra: Innovative Links Project AGPS.

Hasyim, S. (2002). Error analysis in the teaching of English, (1), 42– 50.

Maxwell, T.W. (2003). Action Research for Bhutan. Rabsel the CERD Educational Journal, 3, 1-20.

OECD.(2017). OECD Work on Education & Skills, OECD. Retrieved from http://www. oecd.org/education/Directorate-for-education-and-skills-brochure.pdf

Okogbaa, V. (2017). Preparing the Teacher to Meet the Challenges of a Changing World. Journal of Education and Practice, 8(5), 81-86.

Ridha, N. (2012). The Effect of EFL Learners' Mother Tongue on their Writings in English: An Error Analysis Study. Journal of the College of Arts. University of Basrah, 60, 22-45.

Rietdijk, S., Janssen, T., Van Weijen, D., Van den Bergh, H., & Rijlaarsdam, G. (2017). Improving writing in primary schools through a comprehensive writing program. Journal of Writing Research, 9(2), 173-225. doi: 10.17239/jowr-2017.09.02.04

Tandika, P. (2016). Primary School Teachers’ Practices in Developing Pupils with Writing Competency. Journal of Elementary Education, 27(1), 107-122.

Wee, R., Sim, J., & Jusoff, K. (2010). Verb-form errors in EAP writing. Educational Research and Review, 5(1), 16-23.

White, R., & Arndt, V. (1991). Process Writing. Essex: Addison Wesley Longman Ltd.

Downloads

Published

2020-06-18