Date Approved
8-4-2026
Graduate Degree Type
Project
Degree Name
Education-Literacy Studies: Reading (M.Ed.)
Degree Program
Literacy, Educational Foundations, & Technology
First Advisor
Dr. Lindsay Stoetzel
Academic Year
2025/2026
Abstract
Writing is an expressive and complex process that takes time to develop, yet writing in middle school classrooms is primarily used as a way to demonstrate mastery of content rather than develop writers. Writing instruction is limited or used inefficiently in today’s classrooms, which gives students fewer opportunities to engage in authentic writing experiences. As a consequence, middle school students report a lack of confidence and motivation to write. These conditions contribute to stagnant writing achievement for middle school students. Research suggests that improving student writing outcomes requires writing environments that provide authentic, collaborative, and process-oriented writing experiences. However, these environments are dependent on teachers who feel confident as writers and teachers or writing.
This project is grounded in sociocultural theory and culturally responsive pedagogy, which positions writing as a social process to gain knowledge and skills that writers need to develop confidence. Improving writing instruction for middle school students requires supporting teachers’ confidence as writers and instructors of writing. To address this need, The Writing Lab presents eight professional learning sessions centered around the factors that contribute to writing development. Teachers should experience the same writing conditions they create for their students, therefore teachers will write, participate in collaborative inquiry, and develop their instructional writing practice throughout the sessions. Participation in the professional learning community seeks to provide teachers with knowledge and experience to develop writing environments to increase students’ confidence as writers in their classroom.
ScholarWorks Citation
Weeks, Sara J., "Developing Confidence and Motivation in Writing Through Authentic and Collaborative Writing Approaches" (2026). Masters Projects. 717.
https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/gradprojects/717
