The Writing Process Mr. Tempo Should Use to Help Students Write A Research Paper

 The Writing Process Mr. Tempo Should Use to Help Students Write A Research Paper

Author: Santosh Kumar Biswa, Sr. Teacher, Damphu CS, Tsirang, Bhutan

 

Scenario: Mr. Tempo is a ninth-grade music teacher. He is planning on having his students each choose a composer of his/her choice and write a research paper on that composer. Mr. Tempo realizes that many students have never written a secondary-level research paper before.

 

Teachers may face a variety of difficulties when instructing students who have never completed a research paper at the secondary level. One of the key issues is that students might not have the abilities or expertise to successfully do research, evaluate sources, and synthesize data. Also, they could have trouble structuring their thoughts, coming up with a compelling thesis statement, and employing appropriate citations and formatting. Despite these difficulties, educators can support students in acquiring the abilities and information necessary to produce good research articles by employing a variety of tactics. The writing process, teaching the writing process, including teamwork in the research project, and two tactics that Mr. Tempo can employ to specifically assist those students who have never completed a secondary-level research paper will all be covered in this essay.

 

The Writing Process Mr. Tempo Should Use and Its Benefits

 

To teach writing research, Mr. Tempo should first start by inspiring students to pick a composer they are interested in studying or to choose one. He can instruct them to come up with a list of potential composers and then pick the one they think they can write a thorough research report on. After that, he should provide his students instructions on how to obtain pertinent sources of data, including books, scholarly publications, and internet databases that discuss the compositions of their selected composers. Mr. Tempo should next provide them to take notes on important details including their musical preferences, notable works, historical background, and personal data. They can use this to put information in an intelligible manner that will help them write more effectively (Rinella Learning Center, n.d.). After compiling their notes, he should provide instructions on how to develop an outline that will make it simpler to write their research paper by arranging the information into a logical sequence. When finished, he needs to instruct students to use the outline as a guide as they start writing the research paper, adding their observations and analyses of the selected composer and their work as well as the data they have obtained. After finishing the initial draft of their papers, students should be asked to edit and revise them, paying close attention to grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure as well as making sure the text makes sense.

 

This writing process will be beneficial since it gives students who have never written a research paper before a systematic strategy for doing so, which can be challenging. Students can feel more organized and confident and write a well-written and well-researched paper on their chosen composer by dividing the process down into manageable sections. Also, it assists students in segmenting their writing assignments into smaller, more manageable chunks, making the work less scary and eventually helping them to lessen the anxiety and tension associated with writing (Bello, 2021). This method also fosters research, analytical, and critical thinking abilities, all of which are beneficial for both academic and personal development.

 

Steps That Mr. Tempo Can Follow to Teach the Writing Process

There are several steps involved in teaching students how to write a research paper that can help in their comprehension and ability to generate an excellent report. Mr. Tempo should first describe the idea of research and its aim before guiding the group in choosing the best composer by having them examine several possibilities following their interests. He should then break down each step of the writing process (Planning, drafting, revising, proofreading, presenting/publishing) as suggested by Wray (2005) and give examples to help his students understand it. He should make sure that his students have the chance to organize, review, and develop their ideas before they write (Wray, 2005). Then, he should demonstrate to his students how to use trustworthy sources to obtain information. By doing so, they will be able to imitate them and create a unique strategy that meets their requirements (literacyideas.com, 2022). Mr. Tempo can mentor his students through the writing process and assist them in structuring their writing with appropriate language, punctuation, and citation style after the outline is in place. Additionally, he can give his students access to tools like a research manual, sample essays, and a rubric to assist them in comprehending the demands of the task. Last but not least, he can assist his students with editing and proofreading their work to ensure its clarity and coherence.

Some Ways That Mr. Tempo Can Incorporate Student Collaboration

By requiring students to collaborate in pairs or small groups to conduct research and create group presentations to write on the same composer, Mr. Tempo can incorporate student collaboration into this research project. As a result, children will be inspired to collaborate and learn from one another, which will help them acquire higher-order thinking, oral communication, self-management, and leadership abilities (Cornell University, n.d.). He may also plan frequent check-ins with each group to make sure they are on task and to offer feedback. The study assignment can be made more interesting, dynamic, and significant for the students by incorporating student collaboration. Also, it can assist him in evaluating the students' comprehension of the research process and their capacity for productive group work.

Two Strategies Mr. Tempo Can Use to Help Reluctant Writers

Mr. Tempo can utilize two techniques to help students who have never completed a secondary-level research paper, such as by giving them a full rubric that explains what is expected of them. The required elements, such as an introduction, thesis statement, body paragraphs, conclusion, and works cited page, should be listed in the rubric. Students will benefit from having a clear idea of what is expected of them and how to approach the project thanks to this. He should do this by giving precise guidelines and expectations for the research paper project. He could also give the students samples of excellent research papers they can use as a guide. The second strategy Mr. Tempo might utilize is to give lots of feedback and encouragement. Throughout the writing process, he ought to give students constant comments and support. He can set up one-on-one or small-group conferences with students to go over their progress, offer advice on certain parts of the exam, and address any queries or worries. If a student needs more assistance, he can also urge them to turn to their classmates or the school's writing centre.

Conclusion

 

In conclusion, when given the project of writing a research paper, students frequently run into difficulties including a lack of prior research and academic writing experience, a lack of background knowledge on the subject, inadequate writing abilities, and problems with time management. Yet, with the correct direction, assistance, and materials, teachers may assist students in overcoming these difficulties and acquiring the abilities and information required to produce successful research articles. Teachers may help students succeed academically while also preparing them for the demands of higher education and the workforce by providing them with the skills and strategies they need for success.

 

References

Bello, S. (2021, March 22). The Writing Process: A Seven-Step Approach for Every Writer. EDGY_ Labs. Retrieved from https://edgy.app/writing-process#:~:text=Why%20is%20the% 20Writing%20Process%20Important%3F&text=Having%20a%20writing%20process%20will,stress%20that%20comes%20with%20writing.

Cornell University. (n.d.). Collaborative Learning. Center for Teaching Innovation. Retrieved from https://teaching.cornell.edu/teaching-resources/active-collaborative-learning/collaborative-learning#:~:text=Why%20use%20collaborative%20learning%3F,%2Dmanagement%2C%20and%20leadership%20skills.

literacyideas.com. (2022, December 19). The Writing Process: Complete Guide for Students & Teachers. Literacy Ideas. Retrieved from https://literacyideas.com/the-writing-process/

Note-taking. (n.d.). Rinella Learning Center. Student Life - Miami University. Retrieved from https://miamioh.edu/student-life/rinella-learning-center/academic-support/online-resources/note-taking/index.html#:~:text=The%20primary%20purpose%20of%20note, assist%20in%20your%20studying%20process.

Wray, D. (2005). Teaching and learning literacy: Reading and writing texts for a purpose. Retrieved from eBook Central (accessed through LIRN).