Abstract:

To account for the shortcomings of earlier approaches to developing learners’ writing skills, the process genre approach was developed [1]. This approach draws on strengths and seeks to address weaknesses of the product, process-based and genre-based approaches. The first step in the process genre approach is planning which involves brainstorming, organizing ideas and considering the target audience and type of writing. According to Belbase [2] during the planning, activities that activate schemata about the topic must be included. In this way, learners will be interested in the topic as it will be made relevant to their lives. According to Limpo and Alves (2018) expert writing involves an interaction between three processes: planning, translating, and revising. They further state that these processes are cognitively demanding but with careful planning, final texts are produced at a higher rate. In this paper how teachers approach the planning stage of the writing process is explored. Data for this exploratory comparative case study were collected from 2 schools using lesson observations, interviews, and surveys. Data were analysed using content analysis. It was found that the boys who participated in the study experienced more challenges with planning that the girls. It was also found that how these teachers perceive their practice versus their actual choices were not always congruent. It can be concluded that the teacher’s knowledge of the planning stage and pedagogical choices influenced the quality of the leaners’ final submissions.

Keywords:

Writing, process genre approach, teacher knowledge, planning.