The effect of the prompt on writing product and process : a mixed methods approach
The aim of this thesis is to investigate the effect of the writing prompt on test takers in terms of their test taking processes and the final written product in a second language writing assessment context. The study employs a mixed methods approach, with a quantitative and a qualitative strand. The quantitative study focuses on an analysis of the responses to six different writing prompts, with the responses being analyzed for significant differences in a range of key textual features, such as syntactic complexity, lexical sophistication, fluency and cohesion. The qualitative study incorporates stimulated recall interviews with test takers to learn about the aspects of the writing prompt that can have an effect on test taking processes, such as selecting a prompt, planning a response, and composing a response. The results of the quantitative study indicate that characteristics of the writing prompt (domain, response mode, focus, number of rhetorical cues) have an effect on numerous textual features of the response; for example, fluency, syntactic complexity, lexical sophistication, and cohesion. The qualitative results indicate that similar characteristics of the writing prompt can have an effect on how
Chapman, Mark Derek
writing products ; mixed methods ; writing ; language assessment ; language testing ; Q110 Applied Linguistics
The effect of the prompt on writing product and process : a mixed methods approach. The aim of this thesis is to investigate the effect of the writing prompt on test takers in terms of their test taking processes and the final written product in a second language writing assessment context. The study employs a mixed methods approach, with a quantitative and a qualitative strand. The quantitative study focuses on an analysis of the responses to six different writing prompts, with the responses being analyzed for significant differences in a range of key textual features, such as syntactic complexity, lexical sophistication, fluency and cohesion. The qualitative study incorporates stimulated recall interviews with test takers to learn about the aspects of the writing prompt that can have an effect on test taking processes, such as selecting a prompt, planning a response, and composing a response. The results of the quantitative study indicate that characteristics of the writing prompt (domain, response mode, focus, number of rhetorical cues) have an effect on numerous textual features of the response; for example, fluency, syntactic complexity, lexical sophistication, and cohesion. The qualitative results indicate that similar characteristics of the writing prompt can have an effect on how
effect prompt write product process mixed_method approach aim_investigate effect write prompt test term test take process final write product second_language write assessment context study employ mixed_method quantitative_qualitative strand quantitative study_focus analysis response six_different write prompt response analyze significant_difference range key textual feature syntactic complexity lexical sophistication fluency cohesion qualitative_study incorporates stimulate_recall interview test learn aspect write prompt effect test taking process select prompt plan response compose response quantitative_study indicate characteristic write prompt domain response mode focus number rhetorical cue effect numerous textual feature response example fluency syntactic complexity lexical sophistication cohesion qualitative indicate similar characteristic write prompt effect