What is the research evidence on writing? - Department for Education

2. Introduction
Th<strong>is</strong> paper reports on <strong>the</strong> stat<strong>is</strong>tics and <strong>research</strong> <strong>evidence</strong> on writing both in and out
of school, covering pupils in primary and secondary schools. It includes domestic and
international <strong>evidence</strong>, and makes references and compar<strong>is</strong>ons to reading where
appropriate.
The <strong>research</strong> questions are:
o <strong>What</strong> <strong>is</strong> <strong>the</strong> profile of pupils’ performance in writing?
o <strong>What</strong> do we know about pupils’ writing in schools?
o <strong>What</strong> does effective teaching of writing look like?
o <strong>What</strong> do we know about <strong>the</strong> gender gap in writing?
o <strong>What</strong> <strong>is</strong> <strong>the</strong> role of new technology in children’s writing habits?
o <strong>What</strong> are pupils’ attitudes toward writing, including enjoyment and
confidence?
o In which types of writing activity do pupils engage out of school?
The <strong>evidence</strong> base:
There <strong>is</strong> a general agreement in <strong>the</strong> literature that <strong>the</strong>re <strong>is</strong> less <strong>evidence</strong> about
writing than about reading (Myhill and F<strong>is</strong>her, 2010). International studies such as
<strong>the</strong> Programme for International Student Achievement (PISA) and <strong>the</strong> Progress in
International Reading and Literacy Study (PIRLS) use indicators from reading as proxy
measures for literacy and don’t include writing in <strong>the</strong>ir assessments.
Definition of writing
Writing <strong>is</strong> a complex task. It requires <strong>the</strong> coordination of fine motor skills and
cognitive skills, reflects <strong>the</strong> social and cultural patterns of <strong>the</strong> writer’s time and <strong>is</strong>
also lingu<strong>is</strong>tically complex (Myhill and F<strong>is</strong>her, 2010; F<strong>is</strong>her, 2012).
Writing genres (types)
Writing encompasses a range of genres, divided mainly in fiction and non-fiction. The
latter can be defined as outputs which inform, explain and describe (such as reports,
explanations, manuals, prospectuses, reportage, travel guides and brochures);
persuade, argue and adv<strong>is</strong>e (essays, reviews, opinion pieces, advert<strong>is</strong>ements); and
analyse, review and comment (commentaries, articles etc). The last two categories
can be described as ‘argumentational’ writing (Andrews et al, 2009).
3. <strong>What</strong> <strong>is</strong> <strong>the</strong> profile of pupils’ achievement in writing?
Overall, <strong>the</strong> <strong>evidence</strong> indicates that although <strong>the</strong>re has been an improvement in
pupils’ achievement in writing, it <strong>is</strong> <strong>the</strong> subject where pupils perform less well
compared to reading, ma<strong>the</strong>matics and science. In addition, <strong>the</strong>re <strong>is</strong> a gender gap
with girls outperforming boys in all Key Stages. A detailed analys<strong>is</strong> of pupils’
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