View in EDS HTML Full Text PDF Full Text

Trends in Writing Intervention Research: 1930s and Onward.

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Trends in Writing Intervention Research: 1930s and Onward.
Authors: Graham, Steve1 (AUTHOR) steve.graham@asu.edu, Skar, Gustaf B.2 (AUTHOR) gustaf.b.skar@ntnu.no, Collins, Alyson3 (AUTHOR) alysonacollins@txstate.edu, Ciullo, Stephen4 (AUTHOR) ciullo@txstate.edu, Cao, Yucheng5 (AUTHOR) yucheng.cao@mtsu.edu, won Lee, Joong6 (AUTHOR) wony0630@gmail.com
Source: Writing & Pedagogy. Jun2026, Vol. 16 Issue 3, p257-284. 28p.
Subject Terms: *Writing education, *Research methodology, *Secondary education, *Curriculum, *Control groups, Research questions, Validity of statistics, Research protocols
Abstract: This systematic historical descriptive review was conducted to determine the trends and status of research using true and quasi-experiments (with pretests) to test the effectiveness of writing practices with students in kindergarten to grade 12. The analyses included 859 writing treatment/control comparisons, which were included in two previous meta-analyses (Collins et al., 2025; Graham et al., 2023). The search for studies in these two reviews ended in September 2021 and December 2022, respectively. The use of true and quasi-experiments (with pretests) to test writing practices increased dramatically across the decades from the 1930s onward, with 290 treatment/control comparisons conducted in the 2010s. The expansion in the number of studies conducted was accompanied by an increase in study quality as measured by internal/external research design indicators. Research in this area moved from an exclusive study of teaching spelling and handwriting in the 1930s through the 1950s to the study of a diverse array of writing practices in the decades that followed. As the number of writing practices tested increased, so did the number of measures used to assess the effects of these instructional methods. Most of the writing treatment/control comparisons originated in the United States/Canada, but starting in the 1970s European researchers began to make significant contributions to testing the effectiveness of writing practices. The most prolific researchers from 1931 onward were Steve Graham, Karen Harris, Gert Rijlaarsdam, and Sue Del La Paz. Limitations and suggestions for future research are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Writing & Pedagogy is the property of University of Toronto Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Education Research Complete
Full text is not displayed to guests.
FullText Links:
  – Type: pdflink
Text:
  Availability: 1
Header DbId: ehh
DbLabel: Education Research Complete
An: 194419209
AccessLevel: 6
PubType: Academic Journal
PubTypeId: academicJournal
PreciseRelevancyScore: 0
IllustrationInfo
Items – Name: Title
  Label: Title
  Group: Ti
  Data: Trends in Writing Intervention Research: 1930s and Onward.
– Name: Author
  Label: Authors
  Group: Au
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Graham%2C+Steve%22">Graham, Steve</searchLink><relatesTo>1</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> steve.graham@asu.edu</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Skar%2C+Gustaf+B%2E%22">Skar, Gustaf B.</searchLink><relatesTo>2</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> gustaf.b.skar@ntnu.no</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Collins%2C+Alyson%22">Collins, Alyson</searchLink><relatesTo>3</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> alysonacollins@txstate.edu</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Ciullo%2C+Stephen%22">Ciullo, Stephen</searchLink><relatesTo>4</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> ciullo@txstate.edu</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Cao%2C+Yucheng%22">Cao, Yucheng</searchLink><relatesTo>5</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> yucheng.cao@mtsu.edu</i><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22won+Lee%2C+Joong%22">won Lee, Joong</searchLink><relatesTo>6</relatesTo> (AUTHOR)<i> wony0630@gmail.com</i>
– Name: TitleSource
  Label: Source
  Group: Src
  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="JN" term="%22Writing+%26+Pedagogy%22">Writing & Pedagogy</searchLink>. Jun2026, Vol. 16 Issue 3, p257-284. 28p.
– Name: Subject
  Label: Subject Terms
  Group: Su
  Data: *<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Writing+education%22">Writing education</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Research+methodology%22">Research methodology</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Secondary+education%22">Secondary education</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Curriculum%22">Curriculum</searchLink><br />*<searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Control+groups%22">Control groups</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Research+questions%22">Research questions</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Validity+of+statistics%22">Validity of statistics</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="DE" term="%22Research+protocols%22">Research protocols</searchLink>
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
  Group: Ab
  Data: This systematic historical descriptive review was conducted to determine the trends and status of research using true and quasi-experiments (with pretests) to test the effectiveness of writing practices with students in kindergarten to grade 12. The analyses included 859 writing treatment/control comparisons, which were included in two previous meta-analyses (Collins et al., 2025; Graham et al., 2023). The search for studies in these two reviews ended in September 2021 and December 2022, respectively. The use of true and quasi-experiments (with pretests) to test writing practices increased dramatically across the decades from the 1930s onward, with 290 treatment/control comparisons conducted in the 2010s. The expansion in the number of studies conducted was accompanied by an increase in study quality as measured by internal/external research design indicators. Research in this area moved from an exclusive study of teaching spelling and handwriting in the 1930s through the 1950s to the study of a diverse array of writing practices in the decades that followed. As the number of writing practices tested increased, so did the number of measures used to assess the effects of these instructional methods. Most of the writing treatment/control comparisons originated in the United States/Canada, but starting in the 1970s European researchers began to make significant contributions to testing the effectiveness of writing practices. The most prolific researchers from 1931 onward were Steve Graham, Karen Harris, Gert Rijlaarsdam, and Sue Del La Paz. Limitations and suggestions for future research are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
– Name: AbstractSuppliedCopyright
  Label:
  Group: Ab
  Data: <i>Copyright of Writing & Pedagogy is the property of University of Toronto Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract.</i> (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
PLink https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&site=eds-live&db=ehh&AN=194419209
RecordInfo BibRecord:
  BibEntity:
    Identifiers:
      – Type: doi
        Value: 10.3138/wap-2025-0020
    Languages:
      – Code: eng
        Text: English
    PhysicalDescription:
      Pagination:
        PageCount: 28
        StartPage: 257
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Writing education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Research methodology
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Secondary education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Curriculum
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Control groups
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Research questions
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Validity of statistics
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Research protocols
        Type: general
    Titles:
      – TitleFull: Trends in Writing Intervention Research: 1930s and Onward.
        Type: main
  BibRelationships:
    HasContributorRelationships:
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Graham, Steve
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Skar, Gustaf B.
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Collins, Alyson
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Ciullo, Stephen
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: Cao, Yucheng
      – PersonEntity:
          Name:
            NameFull: won Lee, Joong
    IsPartOfRelationships:
      – BibEntity:
          Dates:
            – D: 01
              M: 06
              Text: Jun2026
              Type: published
              Y: 2026
          Identifiers:
            – Type: issn-print
              Value: 17565839
          Numbering:
            – Type: volume
              Value: 16
            – Type: issue
              Value: 3
          Titles:
            – TitleFull: Writing & Pedagogy
              Type: main
ResultId 1