Pre-Service Teachers' Attitudes about Writing and Learning to Teach Writing: Implications for Teacher Educators.

Abstract

The relationship between attitude and the practice of teaching among preservice teachers is an important consideration for a number of reasons. Perhaps most significantly, these students will soon be responsible for teaching in schools where superior instruction is needed. The need for improving the effectiveness of future teachers is underscored by a recent evaluation by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), which indicated that only half of the students in grades 4, 8, and 12 in the United States are able to write adequate responses to informative, persuasive, or narrative tasks (Chambless & Bass, 1995). The NAEP report also reveals that students generally receive little instruction. Furthermore, work by Lucas (1993) indicates that process is not as well established in the United States as advocates ■■■■■■■ might have hoped (Chambless & Bass, 1995; Street, Chris Street is an 1999, 2002). Therefore, it seems that greater efforts assistant professor in the should be given to the professional development of Department of teachers who will be expected to guide students' Secondary Education at writing (Chambless & Bass, 1995, p. 153). California State Certainly in any there are certain sets University, Fullerton, of attitudes essential to the effective conduct of that Fullerton, California. profession (NCTE, 1996, p. 10). Since research