| Title: |
Doing the 'Write' Thing: Handwriting and Typing Support in Secondary Schools in England |
| Language: |
English |
| Authors: |
Emma Sumner (ORCID 0000-0002-9196-7713); Ruth Nightingale (ORCID 0000-0002-8454-494X); Karen Gurney; Mellissa Prunty (ORCID 0000-0001-5149-9153); Anna L. Barnett (ORCID 0000-0003-3800-9468) |
| Source: |
Literacy. 2024 58(1):25-36. |
| Availability: |
Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us |
| Peer Reviewed: |
Y |
| Page Count: |
12 |
| Publication Date: |
2024 |
| Document Type: |
Journal Articles; Reports - Research |
| Education Level: |
Secondary Education |
| Descriptors: |
Handwriting; Writing Instruction; Office Occupations; Word Processing; Secondary School Students; Foreign Countries; Writing Difficulties; Instructional Effectiveness; Teaching Methods; Best Practices |
| Geographic Terms: |
United Kingdom (England) |
| DOI: |
10.1111/lit.12333 |
| ISSN: |
1741-4350; 1741-4369 |
| Abstract: |
Students must be able to produce legible and fluent text when completing classwork and for exam purposes. Some students, however, present with handwriting difficulties in secondary school. When these are significant, intervention may be necessary or alternatives to handwriting may be offered (e.g. use of a word processor). Little is known about current practice of supporting secondary students with handwriting difficulties in England and how recommendations are made to transition to typing. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 13 practitioners with a responsibility for supporting students with handwriting difficulties. Two themes were identified. The first theme, "doing the right thing," illustrated the tension between practitioners' commitment to supporting students with handwriting difficulties and their uncertainty around what is the "right" approach. The second theme, "influencing practice," described the contextual factors (student and family, school environment and national context) that impact on practitioners' practice and their decision to transition from handwriting to typing. Findings highlight the complexities of supporting this group of students and an urgent need for guidance at a national level to assist best practice. Implications for practice are discussed. Further research examining the effectiveness of handwriting interventions with secondary students and the optimum time to start typing is warranted. |
| Abstractor: |
As Provided |
| Entry Date: |
2024 |
| Accession Number: |
EJ1410309 |
| Database: |
ERIC |