This article was published in Teaching and Teacher Education, Vol. 26, Issue 3, Author(s): Judy M. Parr and Libby Limbrick , “Contextualising Practice: Hallmarks of Effective Teachers of Writing“, Pages 583-590, Copyright Elsevier (April 2010).
This study identifies practices of effective teachers of writing.
Three schools with significantly higher achievement in an area that underperforms nationally were identified and within them teachers whose students exhibited superior progress were selected.
Multiple data collection methods included lesson observation, analysis of the classroom environment, teacher and student interviews and teacher documentation.
Common was a commitment to formative assessment practices and classroom environments supportive of student literacy learning. Hallmarks of teachers whose students showed a greater awareness of their learning were a sense of purpose and meaningfulness; of coherence or connectedness and of being consistent and systematic.
This article argues that student achievement in writing is likely to be higher when teachers exhibit strengths in these hallmarks.