Abstract:

Writing is a “means to gain or share understanding by using print to contribute ideas, to apply knowledge and skills, as well as record important information”. Hyland states that writing is based on expectations, so the writer needs to anticipate what the reader expects based on other similar texts, to increase the reader’s understanding of the text. The overall purpose of writing is to communicate ideas and shapes how we learn, reason and think. Spoken language provides a critical foundation for the development of reading and written language, and this relationship is reciprocal. Written language, together with spoken language and reading, contributes to the process of literacy. This emphasises the significance of developing learners’ writing skills.

Dornbrack and Dixon contend that people are spending more and more time writing in learning situations. As writing forms a major part of higher education, success in higher education is dependent on the student’s ability to write so if learners can write well, the likelihood of them breaking free from the stigma of illiteracy and poverty increases. Written language is also a vital tool for learning and for assessing learners in the classroom. According to Akinyeye and Pluddeman “writing has long been a staple form of assessment” and our global world is “networked through multiple modes of literacy”. Thus, writing is becoming increasingly important because of the demands our new age places on competence in this skill; so, understanding the effects of writing pedagogy is necessary. Nowacek states that writing is important because you can express who you are as a person, and it equips you with communication and thinking skills; which are essential in the workplace. Graham, Harris and Herbert contend that technological advances “have made writing central to social, community and civic participation in twenty-first century life” as people use writing for social communication via emailing, Facebook and texting. The teaching of writing is therefore vital, as it will equip learners with critical thinking skills, better and appropriate usage of language, prepare them for the working world and develop their social communication skills.

This desk study sought to gain insight into pedagogies of writing that can be used to effectively to develop middle school learners writing skills. Desk research or secondary research is a research method that involves using already existing data by conducting research through web searches, online platforms, industry reports, or even physical books. In this study rigorous research has been conducted using online platforms such as Ebscohost and Sabinet to source relevant, credible, and current research related to phenomenon that is being investigated. The study further provided an example of how the process-genre approach has been applied in a particular context. It was found that the whilst the process-genre approach has shortcomings, it has highly advocated, and can be adapted for most middle classrooms. It was concluded that some research has been conducted into writing development. However more research about how the process-genre approach has been applied in different contexts needs to be conducted to provide useful strategies to overcome the shortcomings of the process-genre approach.

Keywords:

Writing, pedagogy, pedagogies of writing, process-genre, genre, process.