Education Publications
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2015
Journal
Alberta Journal of Educational Research
Volume
61
Issue
1
First Page
40
Last Page
64
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); persuasive goal + rhetorical subgoal prompts; or 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.
Citation of this paper:
Klein, P. D., & Ehrhardt, J. S. (2015). Effects of Persuasion and Discussion Goals On Writing, Cognitive Load, and Learning in Science. Alberta Journal of Educational Research, 61(1), 40-64.
