Verba Volant, Scripta Manent: Writing Habits of Pre-Service Elementary Teachers

Abstract

Purpose: Writing is the most challenging languageskill that is acquired the last. Previous studiesdemonstrated that problems had been experienced inthe acquisition of writing skills and habit at the alleducational levels. Thus, elementary teachers andpre-service elementary teachers have significantresponsibility in the acquisition of writing skills andtransformation of these skills into a habit. The presentstudy aims to examine what pre-service elementaryteachers' writing habits are like.Research Methods: This research featured 374 preservice elementary teachers and was based around anexplanatory-sequential mixed-method design. Aboutthe qualitative portion of this study, seven studentsare currently doing their practicums in a fourthgrade setting.Received: 28 Jan. 2020Received in revised form: 05 Aug. 2020Accepted: 18 Sept. 2020DOI: 10.14689/ejer.2020.90.9KeywordsWriting strategies, writing skills, languageskills, writing proficiency, writing habitThe data were collected using a “writing habit scale” and a semi-structured interview form. Acombination of descriptive and predictive statistics was used, alongside content analysis toanalyze all of the quantitative and qualitative data, respectively.Findings: The findings revealed that the pre-service elementary teachers frequently appliedspelling and punctuation rules and consider themselves decent writers. They also occasionallyused writing as a means of communication and employ writing strategies; however, very fewwrite for creative purposes. The qualitative findings, on the other hand, showed that the preservice elementary teachers faced certain obstacles and difficulties regarding the actualprocess of writing.Implications for Research and Practice: The findings obtained in this study suggest that preservice elementary teachers mostly write within the context of learning and socialcommunication and that they face setbacks when it comes to being able to write in more formalcommunicative and creative contexts. What can, thus, be concluded is that pre-serviceelementary teachers ought to receive formal training in writing as well as be encouraged towrite.