What effect does teaching a generic planning strategy have on student writing? : a thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Educational Psychology at Massey University, Manawatu, New Zealand

Abstract

Writing is viewed as applied metacognition. Metacognition is conceptualised as a conscious use of strategies to carry out a process. By using planning as a central metacognitive tool, the researcher has examined the link between the quality of student writing and the use of a generic planning strategy. Participants were 11-year-old students in mainstream classes at an intermediate school in New Zealand. Results indicate that there is a link. This link is discussed in terms of the cognitive construct of conditional knowledge. Conditional knowledge is defined as knowing why, when and where an action is necessary or useful. It is also explored as a social construct of roles and interactions between hypothetical selves. Recommendations are made for further exploration of generic planning instruction.

Keywords: metacognition, writing, e-asTTle, planning, primary