Abstract

Research suggests that executive function, motivation, transcription, and composition processes are implicated in the writing quality and productivity of children with and without learning difficulties. However, numerous components embedded within these constructs create both conceptual and empirical challenges to the study of written expression. These challenges are reflected in the writing research by way of poor delineation of constructs and insufficient distinction among domain general resources (e.g. working memory) versus processes related to the academic domain of writing (e.g. pre-planning), as well as among lower- (e.g. handwriting) and higher-order (e.g. editing) writing-specific processes. The current study utilizes the Not-so-Simple View of Writing (NSVW) as an organizing framework for examining the relations among multiple components, correlates, and attributes of writing in a sample of struggling readers/writers (n = 402) in grades 3–5. Data were collected on measures of (a) handwriting, spelling, planning, revision, and editing, derived from the Test of Oral Written Language (TOWL-4), (b) executive function derived from the NIH Examiner, and (c) motivation/self-efficacy derived from the Student Contextual Learning Scale. Structural equation modeling was utilized to test direct and indirect relations in the NSVW model. Results showed generally moderate correlations among observed/latent variables and found support for relations among writing-specific processes. Domain-general resources (executive function and motivation/self-efficacy) were related to spelling directly and indirectly to writing. Domain-specific processes (handwriting, spelling, planning, editing, and revision) were related to writing. The results have implications for explicit instruction of writing processes and for future research on empirical models.

 抽象的

研究表明，执行功能、动机、转录和写作过程与有或没有学习困难的儿童的写作质量和生产力有关。然而，这些结构中嵌入的众多组件给书面表达的研究带来了概念和经验上的挑战。这些挑战反映在写作研究中，因为对结构的描述不力，领域一般资源（例如工作记忆）与与写作学术领域相关的过程（例如预先计划）之间以及较低的（例如手写）和高阶（例如编辑）特定于书写的过程。当前的研究利用不太简单的写作观 (NSVW) 作为组织框架，以 3 年级有困难的读者/作家 ( n = 402) 为样本，检查写作的多个组成部分、相关性和属性之间的关系–5。收集的数据包括 (a) 手写、拼写、计划、修订和编辑，源自口语书面语言测试 (TOWL-4)，(b) 执行功能，源自 NIH 检查员，以及 (c) 动机/来自学生情境学习量表的自我效能感。利用结构方程模型来测试 NSVW 模型中的直接和间接关系。结果显示观察/潜在变量之间通常存在中等相关性，并发现了对特定写作过程之间关系的支持。领域一般资源（执行功能和动机/自我效能）与拼写直接相关，也与写作间接相关。特定领域的过程（手写、拼写、计划、编辑和修订）与写作有关。 研究结果对于写作过程的明确指导和实证模型的未来研究具有重要意义。