Research Article
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Personal Writing Activity: Investigation of Students’ Oldest Childhood Recollections

Year 2023, Volume: 10 (Special Issue), 1 - 14, 29.10.2023
https://doi.org/10.59409/ojer.1270780

Abstract

The personal writing genre can provide valuable space for students to start from what they know best, themselves. In this qualitative study, middle school students’ earliest memories and the kinds of remembered memories were tried to be investigated. Students’ earliest memories were analysed based on their written personal writings. In addition, how well students remembered the names of the objects shown to them in a short time was analysed. Thus, the study also aimed to investigate which objects were remembered by students in a quick learning activity. The participants of the study were 21 struggling middle school students participated into a summer project titled as “Let's Discover Our Thoughts: What Do I Know and How Do I Use My Knowledge?” Data was collected from students’ writings reflecting their earliest memories and lists of remembered items’ names. The study's findings yielded that the most remembered feeling was being sad. Other reflected emotions were feeling happy, embarrassed, and tired. Analyses of the data also showed that the most remembered items were oranges, playing cards, and lemons. According to the used memorization test, among struggling middle school students only two students had good memorization skills.

Project Number

117B177

References

  • Aslan, C. (2010). Düşünme becerilerini geliştirici dil ve edebiyat öğretimi ortamları: Bir eğitim durumu örneği. Balıkesir Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, 13(24), 127-152.
  • Banks, W. P. (2003). Written through the body: Disruptions and & quot; personal & quot; writing. College English, 66(1), 21-40.
  • Baumeister, R.F., Bratslavsky E., Finkenauer C., & Vohs, K. D. (2001). Bad is stronger than good. Review of General Psychology, 5(4), 323-370.
  • Bowen, G. A. (2009). Document analysis as a qualitative research method. Qualitative Research Journal, 9 (2), 27- 40. https://doi.org.10.3316/QRJ0902027
  • Connors, R. J. (1987). Personal writing assignments. College Composition and Communication, 38(2), 166-183.
  • Fraenkel, J. R., & Wallen, N. E. (2003). How to design and evaluate research in education. McGraw-Hill.
  • Fulwiler, T. (1982). The personal connection: Journal writing across the curriculum. In T. Fulwiler & A. Young (Eds.), Language connections: Writing and reading across the curriculum (pp. 15-32). National Council of Teachers of English.
  • Alvarez, G.A., & Cavanagh, P. (2004). The capacity of visual short-term memory is set both by visual in formation load and by number of objects. Psychological Science, 15(2), 106-111. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0963-7214.2004.01502006.x
  • Gardner, P. (2018). Writing and writer identity: The poor relation and the search for voice in ‘personal literacy’. Literacy, 52(1), 11-19.
  • Griffith, J. J. (2018). Penning the 3 am thoughts: What students say about writing personally in English class. The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas, 91(4-5), 168-173.
  • Hadwin, J., & Perner, J. (1991). Pleased and surprised: Children cognitive theory of emotion. British Journal of Developmental Pyschology, 9(21), 5-234. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2044-835X.1991.tb00872.x
  • Higgins, L. D., & Brush, L. D. (2006). Personal experience narrative and public debate: Writing the wrongs of welfare. College Composition and Communication, 57(4), 694-729.
  • Krippendorff, K. (2004). Content analysis: An introduction to its methodology. Sage Publication.
  • Labuschagne, A. (2003). Qualitative research: Airy fairy or fundamental? The Qualitative Report, 8(1), 100-103.
  • Li, Y., & Deng, L. (2019). I am what I have written: A case study of identity construction in and through personal statement writing. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 37, 70-87.
  • Martinviita, A. (2016). Online community and the personal diary: Writing to connect at open diary. Computers in Human Behaviour, 63, 672-682.
  • Morgan, D. (1998). Ethical issues raised by students’ personal writing. College English, 60(3), 318-325.
  • Pytash, K. E. (2016). Girls on the fringe: The writing lives of two adolescent girls. Reading &Writing Quarterly, 32(4), 299-316.
  • Richardson, L. (2001). Getting personal: Writing-stories. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 14(1), 33-38.
  • Rose, S., & Lichtenfels, A. (1997). Brainbox. Portland Press. ISBN: 9781855780965.
  • Ruggles Gere, A. (2001). Revealing silence: Rethinking personal writing. College Composition and Communication, 53(2), 203-223.
  • Stotsky, S. (1995). The uses and limitations of personal or personalized writing in writing theory, research, and instruction. Reading Research Quarterly, 30(4), 758-776.
  • Whitney, A. E. (2009). Writer, teacher, person: Tensions between personal and professional writing in a national writing project summer institute. English Education, 41(3), 235-258.
  • Williams Mlynarczyk, R. (2006). Personal and academic writing: Revisiting the debate. Journal of Basic Writing, 25(1), 4-25.
  • Yin, R. K. (1994). Case study research design and methods: Applied social research and methods series. Sage Publications Inc.
Year 2023, Volume: 10 (Special Issue), 1 - 14, 29.10.2023
https://doi.org/10.59409/ojer.1270780

Abstract

Supporting Institution

TÜBİTAK

Project Number

117B177

Thanks

İçerisinde böyle bir etkinliği de barındıran, uygulamalara olanak sağlayan Bilim okulu projemize destek veren TÜbitak' a ve Aydın Sevgi evleri Müdürlüğü'ne teşekkürler.

References

  • Aslan, C. (2010). Düşünme becerilerini geliştirici dil ve edebiyat öğretimi ortamları: Bir eğitim durumu örneği. Balıkesir Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, 13(24), 127-152.
  • Banks, W. P. (2003). Written through the body: Disruptions and & quot; personal & quot; writing. College English, 66(1), 21-40.
  • Baumeister, R.F., Bratslavsky E., Finkenauer C., & Vohs, K. D. (2001). Bad is stronger than good. Review of General Psychology, 5(4), 323-370.
  • Bowen, G. A. (2009). Document analysis as a qualitative research method. Qualitative Research Journal, 9 (2), 27- 40. https://doi.org.10.3316/QRJ0902027
  • Connors, R. J. (1987). Personal writing assignments. College Composition and Communication, 38(2), 166-183.
  • Fraenkel, J. R., & Wallen, N. E. (2003). How to design and evaluate research in education. McGraw-Hill.
  • Fulwiler, T. (1982). The personal connection: Journal writing across the curriculum. In T. Fulwiler & A. Young (Eds.), Language connections: Writing and reading across the curriculum (pp. 15-32). National Council of Teachers of English.
  • Alvarez, G.A., & Cavanagh, P. (2004). The capacity of visual short-term memory is set both by visual in formation load and by number of objects. Psychological Science, 15(2), 106-111. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0963-7214.2004.01502006.x
  • Gardner, P. (2018). Writing and writer identity: The poor relation and the search for voice in ‘personal literacy’. Literacy, 52(1), 11-19.
  • Griffith, J. J. (2018). Penning the 3 am thoughts: What students say about writing personally in English class. The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas, 91(4-5), 168-173.
  • Hadwin, J., & Perner, J. (1991). Pleased and surprised: Children cognitive theory of emotion. British Journal of Developmental Pyschology, 9(21), 5-234. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.2044-835X.1991.tb00872.x
  • Higgins, L. D., & Brush, L. D. (2006). Personal experience narrative and public debate: Writing the wrongs of welfare. College Composition and Communication, 57(4), 694-729.
  • Krippendorff, K. (2004). Content analysis: An introduction to its methodology. Sage Publication.
  • Labuschagne, A. (2003). Qualitative research: Airy fairy or fundamental? The Qualitative Report, 8(1), 100-103.
  • Li, Y., & Deng, L. (2019). I am what I have written: A case study of identity construction in and through personal statement writing. Journal of English for Academic Purposes, 37, 70-87.
  • Martinviita, A. (2016). Online community and the personal diary: Writing to connect at open diary. Computers in Human Behaviour, 63, 672-682.
  • Morgan, D. (1998). Ethical issues raised by students’ personal writing. College English, 60(3), 318-325.
  • Pytash, K. E. (2016). Girls on the fringe: The writing lives of two adolescent girls. Reading &Writing Quarterly, 32(4), 299-316.
  • Richardson, L. (2001). Getting personal: Writing-stories. International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education, 14(1), 33-38.
  • Rose, S., & Lichtenfels, A. (1997). Brainbox. Portland Press. ISBN: 9781855780965.
  • Ruggles Gere, A. (2001). Revealing silence: Rethinking personal writing. College Composition and Communication, 53(2), 203-223.
  • Stotsky, S. (1995). The uses and limitations of personal or personalized writing in writing theory, research, and instruction. Reading Research Quarterly, 30(4), 758-776.
  • Whitney, A. E. (2009). Writer, teacher, person: Tensions between personal and professional writing in a national writing project summer institute. English Education, 41(3), 235-258.
  • Williams Mlynarczyk, R. (2006). Personal and academic writing: Revisiting the debate. Journal of Basic Writing, 25(1), 4-25.
  • Yin, R. K. (1994). Case study research design and methods: Applied social research and methods series. Sage Publications Inc.
There are 25 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects Studies on Education
Journal Section Research Article
Authors

Ayşegül Bayraktar

Esin Acar

Project Number 117B177
Publication Date October 29, 2023
Published in Issue Year 2023 Volume: 10 (Special Issue)

Cite

APA Bayraktar, A., & Acar, E. (2023). Personal Writing Activity: Investigation of Students’ Oldest Childhood Recollections. Osmangazi Journal of Educational Research, 10 (Special Issue), 1-14. https://doi.org/10.59409/ojer.1270780