Collaborative writing grade 4-6

Research has shown that collaborative writing is beneficial to pupils’ development of oral as well as written English skills.

The field of collaborative writing in English as a Foreign Language (EFL) is expanding but, despite this, there are few studies targeting young learners. For this reason, Elin Ruth, who is a PhD student in English and Education, has initiated a research project to explore collaborative writing in years 4–6 (pupils aged 10–12). The project aims to include both teacher and pupil perspectives on collaborative writing. First, teachers’ and pupils’ attitudes towards collaborative writing will be mapped. Second, collaborative writing will be implemented in school years 5 and 6 classrooms. During the implementation, attention will be paid to pupils’ oral and written interaction in collaborative writing tasks. The project will be carried out together with in-service English teachers and can thus be described as practice-based educational research.