GUIDED WRITING APPROACH: AT-RISK STUDENTS’ WRITING PERFORMANCE

Education

This study investigated the writing performance of at-risk students through the lens of teachers who employed the guided writing approach in the classroom. Using a phenomenological research design, the study explored the lived experiences and insights of seven English language teachers who regularly handle learners with persistent writing difficulties. Their narratives revealed three major challenges that shape students’ writing performance: limited vocabulary and weak sentence construction, difficulty in presenting coherent and meaningful ideas, and low self-confidence that hinders active engagement in writing tasks. These issues were found to significantly influence how students organize, refine, and communicate their thoughts in written form. In response to these challenges, the participating teachers described several strategies they developed over time. These included providing explicit and step-by-step writing instructions, enhancing students’ exposure to varied word forms and contextual vocabulary, and offering feedback that is both constructive and motivating. Teachers emphasized that these approaches helped reduce students’ anxiety and gradually improved their sense of competence. From their collective reflections, three broader insights emerged: sustained reading exposure is essential in shaping effective writers; continuous professional improvement is necessary for teachers to address evolving learning needs; and writing instruction must be intentional, guided, and regularly reinforced. Overall, the findings suggest that strengthening pedagogical strategies and addressing students’ attitudes toward writing are equally important in improving performance. The study offers meaningful implications for educators, school administrators, and future researchers who aim to design interventions tailored to the needs of at-risk learners and to contribute to the growing discourse on effective writing instruction.

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