The effect of Strategy-based Instruction on Medical Students’ Academic Writing Performance

Document Type : Original Article

Author

English department, Kermanshah branch, Islamic Azad University, Kermanshah, Iran

Abstract

Background: The present study was intended to investigate the effectiveness of strategy-based instruction in the form of self-regulatory strategy development on persuasive academic writing performance of a group of Iranian medicine and pharmacy students. Additionally, the study sought to examine if such instruction carries over to a related academic genre, i.e., descriptive writing.
Methods: First, 30 male and female medicine and pharmacy students were administered pre-tests on target genres. Secondly, they received SBI on the persuasive genre of academic writing. Thirdly, the participants were asked to write essays on a set of writing probes across these two genres. Finally, post-tests were administered.
Results: The results showed that the persuasive-specific self-regulatory strategy instruction the participants received contributed to their performance on persuasive academic writing. In the case of descriptive academic genre, the participants' performances on the posttest experienced a boost compared to those in the pretest corroborating the transfer of learning to a related non-instructed genre. More specifically, the sentences participants wrote in the posttests were longer, qualitatively better, and contained more persuasive and descriptive elements.
Conclusions: Supplementing English for academic purposes courses for the students of medicine with strategy-based instruction in the form of genre-specific self-regulatory strategy development interventions seems a necessary first step in enhancing academic writing ability of medical students. The findings out of this research have certain implications for English for academic purposes students and teachers accordingly.

Keywords

References

  1. Ding A, Bruce I. The English for academic purposes practitioner: Operating on the
    edge of academia. Palgrave Macmillan; 2017.
  2. Richards JC. Theories of teaching in language teaching. In JC Richards, WA Renandya (Eds.), Methodology in language teaching: An anthology of current practice (pp. 19-25). New York: CUP; 2002.
  3. Cheng A. Genre analysis as a pre-instructional, instructional, and teacher development framework. J Engl Acad Purp. 2015; 19: 125-36.
  4. Raimes A. Ten steps in planning a writing course and training teachers of writing. In: Richards JC, Renandya WA, editors. Methodology in language teaching: An anthology of current practice. New York: CUP; 2002. P. 306-14.
  5. Atai MR, Taherkhani R. Exploring the cognitions and practices of Iranian EAP teachers in teaching the four language skills. J Engl Acad Purp. 2018; 36: 108-18.
  6. Paltridge B. Academic writing. Language Teaching. 2004; 37: 87­-105.
  7. Paltridge B. Writing for academic journals in the digital era. RELC Journal. 2020; 51(1): 147-57.
  8. Benesch S. Theorizing and practicing English for academic purposes. J Engl Acad Purp. 2009; 8: 81-85.
  9. De Silva R. Writing strategy instruction: Its impact on writing in a second language for academic purposes. Language Teaching Research. 2015; 19(3): 301-23.
  10. Fathi J. Feizollahi B. The effect of strategy based instruction on EFL writing performance and self-regulated learning. Scientific Journal of Language Research. 2019; 11(33): 23-45, Persian.
  11. Samanian S, Roohani A. Effects of self-regulatory strategy development on EFL learners’
    descriptive writing and reflective thinking. Research in English Language Pedagogy. 2018; 6(1): 95-116, Persian.
  12. Alavi S, Nemati M, Karimpour S. The impact of genre-based instruction treatments on EAP students’ writing quality. Journal of Modern Research in English Language Studies. 2019; (in press): doi: 10.30479/jmrels.2019.11620.446, Persian.
  13. Han J, Hiver P. Genre-based L2 writing instruction and writing specific psychological factors: The dynamics of change. J Second Lang Writ. 2018; 40(1): 44-59.
  14. Plonsky L. The effectiveness of second language strategy instruction: A meta-analysis. Lang Learn. 2011; 61(4): 993-1038.
  15. Zimmerman BJ. Commentary: toward a cyclically interactive view of self-regulated learning. Int J Educ Res. 1999; 31(2): 545-51.
  16. Zimmerman B. Investigating self-regulation and motivation: Historical background, methodological developments, and future prospects. Am Educ Res J. 2008; 45(1): 166-83.
  17. Graham S. Harris KR. The role of self-regulation and transcription skills in writing and writing development. Educ Psychol. 2000; 35(1): 3-12.
  18. Graham S, Harris KR. Students with learning disabilities and the process of writing: A meta-analysis of SRSD studies. In: Swanson L, Harris K, Graham S, editors. Handbook of learning disabilities. New York: Guilford Press; 2003. P. 383-402.
  19. Graham S, Harris KR, Mason LH. Improving the writing performance, knowledge, and self-efficacy of struggling young writers: The effects of self- regulated strategy development. Contemp Educ Psychol. 2005; 30: 207-41.
  20. Zimmerman B. Becoming a self-regulated learner: Which are the key sub-processes? Contemp Educ Psychol. 1986; 11(2): 307-13.
  21. Mason LH, Harris KR, Graham S. Self-regulated strategy development for students with writing difficulties. Theory Pract. 2011; 50(1): 20-27.
  22. Harris KR, Graham S, Mason LH. Improving the writing, knowledge, and motivation of struggling young writers: Effects of self-regulated strategy development with and without peer support. Am Educ Res J. 2006; 43(2): 295-340.
  23. Harris KR, Graham S. Making the writing process work: Strategies for composition and self-regulation. Brookline, MA: Brookline Books; 1996.
  24. Cohen AD. Strategies in learning and using a second language. 2th ed. London: Longman; 2011.
  25. De Silva R, Graham S. The effects of strategy instruction on writing strategy use for students of different proficiency levels. System. 2015; 53(1): 47-59.
  26. Allan D. Oxford Placement Test 2. Oxford: Oxford University Press; 2004.
  27. Miller KM. Examining the effects of self-regulated strategy development in combination with video self-modeling on writing by third grade students with learning disabilities. Unpublished PhD dissertation. University of Central Florida: Orlando, Florida; 2013.
  28. Khatib M, Mirzaii M. Developing an analytic scale for scoring EFL descriptive writing. Journal of English Language Teaching and Learning. 2016; 17(1): 49-73, Persian.
  29. Torrance M, Fidalgo R, Garcia J. The teachability and effectiveness of cognitive self-regulation in sixth-grade writers. Learn Instr. 2007; 17(3): 265-85.
  30. Saddler B, Moran S, Graham S, Harris KR. Preventing writing difficulties: The effects of planning strategy instruction on the writing performance of struggling writers. Exceptionality. 2004; 12(1): 3-17.
  31. Farrokh Eslamloo N., Sarkhosh M, Gholami J. The differential effects of three different approaches to the teaching of English for medical purposes. Stud Med Sci. 2017; 28(4): 1-15.
  32. Ranjbar N, Soodmand Afshar H.A Survey of EAP Needs in Iran from the Viewpoints of Teachers and Students. Iranian Journal of English for Academic Purposes. 2021; 10(1): 54-74, Persian.
  33. Teng LS, Zhang LJ. Empowering learners in the second/foreign language classroom: Can self-regulated learning strategies-based writing instruction make a difference? J Second Lang Writ. 2020; 48: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jslw.2019.100701.
  34. Griffiths C. Language learning strategies: Is the baby still in the bathwater? Appl Linguist. 2019; 41(4): 607-11.
  35. Khojasteh L, Hosseini SA, Nasiri E. The impact of mediated learning on the academic writing performance of medical students in flipped and traditional classrooms: Scaffolding techniques. RPTEL, 2021; 16: https://doi.org/10.1186/s41039-021-00165-9, Persian.
  36. Alenazi MH. The predictive effects of self-regulated writing strategies on writing performance of Saudi EFL university students. Journal of Educational and Psychological Studies 2020; 14(4): 668-82.
Future of Medical Education Journal
Volume 11, Issue 4
December 2021
Pages 46-51

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics