Aiming for authenticity: successes and struggles in increasing authenticity in the writing classroom

Original article: LINK

By Nadia Behizadeh

In this paper, Nadia Behizadeh discusses two different approaches to teaching writing. On one end of the spectrum is authentic writing instruction, where students use writing to think deeply, create new ideas, express themselves, and influence others. At the other end is formulaic writing instruction, where the focus is just on following conventions of grammar, punctuation, and mechanics [LINK and LINK].

A major concern in UK and US schools is that writing instruction tends to lean towards the formulaic side, often using pre-designed writing schemes that don’t take into account students’ backgrounds, cultures, or interests [LINK]. This issue is particularly problematic for students of colour and for pupils in economically underserved areas, making it a matter of social justice [LINK].

While there are many reasons for formulaic instruction, teachers have the power to make writing instruction more authentic. However, striving for more authentic writing can be challenging, especially in schools that don’t understand or appreciate evidence-based writing teaching.

Definition of authenticity

Behizadeh discusses the idea of ‘authenticity’ in writing instruction, explaining that many teachers believe that making writing projects real and relevant to students’ lives can increase their engagement and success [LINK]. Here’s a simplified breakdown:

• Authentic learning means that what pupils do in school is meaningful and connected to the real world. For a writing task to be authentic, it should have real-world relevance and be valued outside of school.
• Authenticity isn’t either/or – class projects can be made more or less authentic. Traditionally, it’s been teachers who have decided what is ‘authentic,’ but there’s a shift towards letting children see the relevance of class writing projects in their own terms [LINK].
• Authentic writing is when students feel they have the ability to connect a class writing project to their life, experiences, culture, interests, and goals [LINK].
• It’s about starting with what students know and helping them connect to new topics and genres in a way that feels relevant to them [LINK].

Examples and research

• A study on meaningful writing found that personal connection doesn’t mean students always write about themselves. For example, a student found writing about hockey fan culture meaningful even though she wasn’t into hockey, because it helped her think about her own culture [LINK].
• Students value having some choice in what they write about, focusing on expressing themselves over just following rules, writing for real audiences, and sharing their compositions with others [LINK].

Four key factors for authentic writing

1. Structured choice for writing topics: Helping students choose writing topics that relate to their lives with some guidance from teachers or peers [LINK].
2. Expression over conventions: Teaching grammar and mechanics within the context of expressing something important, rather than as separate rules [LINK and LINK].
3. Writing for impact: Encouraging pupils to write for real purposes and audiences, and providing ways for them to publish their manuscripts [LINK].
4. Sharing writing: Creating a safe environment for students to share their writing, building a community, and giving opportunities to share with various audiences [LINK and LINK].

Balancing authenticity and other needs

• While aiming for authenticity, teachers should still keep in mind other factors, like preparing students’ writing for moderation and standardised tests.

Here’s a simplified summary of the findings from the study on authentic writing instruction:

Facilitating choice of a valued writing topic

• The teacher and the researcher used essential questions and prompts to help students brainstorm meaningful topics for their writing [LINK].
• Activities included small group discussions, quick-writes, and an Ideas Party where students shared their ideas.
• Students read and critiqued mentor texts to see how authors use various techniques to make their writing meaningful and successful [LINK].
• These activities aimed to help students find topics they cared about and engage in expressive writing.

Successes:

• High student engagement with rich conversations and enthusiasm.
• Students appreciated generating their own writing ideas.

Challenges:

• Some students had already decided on their topics and didn’t feel influenced by the prewriting activities.
• Some students chose topics they didn’t find very meaningful.

Striving for expression and adherence to conventions

• The teacher taught lessons on grammar and structure to support meaning-making [LINK and LINK].
• Activities included reading mentor texts, peer reviews, and mini-lessons on specific writing techniques [LINK].

Successes:

• Mentor texts helped students generate ideas and see different narrative structures [LINK].
• The workshop environment and peer reviews were helpful for students [LINK].
• Teaching planning techniques helped pupils organise their ideas [LINK].

Challenges:

• The planning techniques may have limited creativity, especially for students already familiar with narrative structures.
• Knowing their audience would have helped make the writing process more authentic for students [LINK].

Here’s a summary of the findings regarding opportunities for impact and increasing authenticity in writing instruction:

Creating Opportunities for Impact

1. Presentation Options:

• Students were given various ways to present their work, including public presentations and publishing.
• A “presentation menu” was introduced in the third week, after students had drafted and revised their narratives.
• Despite these options, few students chose public presentations or online posting, with more interest shown by students in Gifted and Accelerated classes.
• Only a small number of students submitted their work for publication.

1. Successes:

• Those who chose public presentations felt proud and learned more about each other.
• Presentation options were appreciated, enhancing the writing experience for some.

1. Challenges:

• Most students did not feel that the presentation options significantly increased authenticity.
• Timing of introducing presentation options might have mitigated their effectiveness since the audience was identified late in the process.
• Publishing a book in the school library did not provide a clearly valued audience.

Creating a stronger sense of an actual audience

Student reactions and feedback:

• Students indicated that choice of topic, process freedom, personal expression, and conveying important messages were the most meaningful aspects of the project.
• Some students felt more authenticity in narrative writing, while others preferred writing explanation essays.
• Students’ suggestions for increasing authenticity included different genres and more time.

Audience issues:

• Students may not have felt a strong sense of an actual audience [LINK].
• Too often scheme-based writing tasks focus on imagined audiences rather than real ones [LINK].
• Authentic writing experiences should include real impacts, real reactions and real conversations with the audience [LINK].

By focusing on real-world projects and actual audiences, students can find greater meaning and purpose in their writing, ultimately strengthening their skills and sense of empowerment as writers.