Future teachers faced with writing. Results from an action-research project

Abstract

Recent years have seen much research into the habits, beliefs and attitudes of trainee teachers to reading. However, to date few studies have tackled their stance on writing. In the interests of broadening knowledge in this area, and of bringing theory closer to practice in the training of future teachers, we conducted an action research project based on the principles of free text. The participants were 102 students of the degree in Teacher Training in Primary Education. The objectives were twofold: 1) to explore their experiences and beliefs about non-academic writing, and 2) to explore the possible repercussions of the project on stimulating their writing habits outside the academic environment. We compiled the opinions of participants before and after the intervention, and conducted interviews with the key respondents. Our results show a generalised concept of writing as merely instrumental, and the possible influence of the two basic literacy environments –family and school– in determining the thinking of trainee teachers about this skill. Another finding of the analysed data is the widely held negative concept of students about their competence in written expression. On the other hand, the opportunity for peer-group reflection offered by the project promoted a positive (re)encounter with the act of writing. In light of our results, it would seem opportune that teacher training should include similar practical experiences, which promote a reflective (re)encounter with writing for pleasure, as other authors have proposed for the case of literary reading.