語言學習策略在文獻上已大量被研究, 尤其是成功學習者所使用的學習策略更是受到大家的注視, 希望藉此可以增加學習成效低落者在語言學習上有所進步。但是文獻上卻少有探討寫作策略的研究文章, 然而針對學生對於寫作策略的觀感更是有限。 因此本研究的目的在於根據學生的認知, 課堂教授的寫作策略是否有效的幫助他們降低寫作困難, 進而幫助寫作老師了解學生對於寫作策略的使用與需求, 以及學生面臨的寫作困難。研究中, 共有二十二位學生參與。主要研究工具包括: 學生英文學習以及寫作經驗背景問卷、 課堂觀察、講義 (correction notes) 、週記、 訪談、以及學生策略使用前後測量問卷。研究結果發現, 學生最主要的寫作困難為單字量不足、無法將英文句子完整表達、以及對於作文題目背景知識的不足。 另外,學生較常使用的寫作策略為在腦中擬定寫作藍圖、回頭修改文法錯誤或是內容、以及檢查文章是否有連貫。同時, 學生也認為這三個寫作策略最為有用。最後, 研究者針對結果原因以及在教學運用上提出見解。

The study investigated student perceived usefulness to the instructed writing strategies, and the student writing difficulties.  Twenty-two college English major freshmen enrolled in English Composition (I) at a private university in northern Taiwan participated in the study.  Data were collected through six sources: (1) questionnaire of students’ background in English learning and writing, (2) classroom observation, (3) correction notes, (4) journal entries, (5) interviews, and (6) pre-and post-writing strategy questionnaire.  The result displays that, first, vocabulary size is responsible for the students’ major writing difficulty.  Second, students perceived planning in mind without making notes to be the most useful writing strategy, and at the same time, they also used the same strategy with the most frequency.  Third, except for four students, other students seldom used writing strategies that were not provided in class.  It is found that the reported strategies were actually taught by the instructor, and students did not use other strategies that were not taught by the instructor to their writing.

TABLE OF CONTENT

                                                  PAGE
中文摘要....................................................................................................................i
ABSTRACT……………………………………………………………...................ii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS………………………………………………………...iii
TABEL OF CONTENT……………………………………………………………..iv
LIST OF TABLES…………………………………………………………………...vi

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION…………………………………………………...1
Research Background…………………………………………………………………1
Problem Statement…………………………………………………………………….2
Purpose of the Study…………………………………………………………………..2
Research Questions……………………………………………………………………3
Significance of the Study……………………………………………………………...3
Definition of Terms……………………………………………………………………3

CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW……………………………………………6
Language Learning Strategies…………………………………………………………6
The Significance of Language Learning Strategies……………………………….6
   Variables Influence on Strategy Use………………………………………………7
   Strategies-Based Instruction……………………………………………………….8
Writing Instruction…………………………………………………………………...10
   Why Teaching Writing…………………………………………………………...10
The Significance of Writing Strategies………..……………………………………...11
Techniques for Eliciting Language Learning Strategies and Writing Strategies……..13
Observation………………………………………………………………………14
   Think Aloud and Interviews………………………………………………….......14
   Diary and Journal…………………………………………………………….......14
   Survey and Questionnaire………………………………………………………..15
Prior Studies Relevant to the Present Study………………………………………….16


CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGY………………………………………………….23
Context……………………………………………………………………………….24
Participants…………………………………………………………………………...27
Data Collection……………………………………………………………………….28
   Materials………………………………………………………………………….28
        Questionnaire of Students’ Background in English Learning and Writing..28
        Classroom Observation……………………………………………………29
        Correction Notes………………………………………………………......29 
        Journals…………………………………………………………………….30
        Interviews………………………………………………………………….35
        Pre- and Post- Strategy Questionnaire……………………………………..36
Procedures……………………………………………………………………………38
Data Analysis…………………………………………………………………………42

CHAPTER 4 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION…………………….………………45
Results of Writing Difficulties in Journal Entries……………………………………45
Results of Students’ Perceived Usefulness of Writing Strategies by the Instructor 
and the Reasons Why Apply the Strategies………………………………………49
Other Writing Strategies not Provided in Class Instruction Students Use When Writing……………………………………………………………………………60
Discussion……………………………………………………………………………64
CHAPTER 5 CONLCUSION……………………………………………………...69
Summary of the Major Findings……………………………………………………..69
Limitations of the Study……………………………………………………………...70
Pedagogical Implications…………………………………………………………….71
Suggestion for Further Research……………………………………………………..72
REFERENCES……………………………………………………………………….73
Appendix A. Course Syllabus………………………………………………………..79
Appendix B. Correction Notes……………………………………………………….81
Appendix C. Background Survey…………………………………………………….89
Appendix D. Journal Questions……………………………………………………....90
Appendix E. Baker and Boonkit’s Categorization…………………………………....96
Appendix F. Pre- and Post- Strategy Questionnaire………………………………......99

LIST of TABLES
Table1.Descriptions of the Four Writing Assignments………………………………27
Table 2. Sample Writing Difficulties Categorized by Factors in the Journal Entry….32
Table 3. Four Categories of Writing Strategy in Journal Entries……………...……..34
Table 4. Interview Forms with the 34 Interviewees throughout the Four Journal
       Entries……………………………………………………………………….36
Table 5. Sample Items of Writing Strategies on the Pre- and Post- Questionnaire…..37
Table 6. Data Collection Procedures…………………………………………………41
Table 7. Overall Writing Difficulty Results in the Four Journal Entries……………..46
Table 8. Overall Perceived Usefulness of Writing Strategy in the Four Journal
       Entries……………………………………………………………………….50
Table 9. Overall Writing Strategy Use Results in the Four Journal Entries………….53
Table 10.Summary of Results of Writing Strategy Use and Writing Strategies 
        Perceived to be Useful……………………………………………………..55
Table 11. Summary of Results of Writing Strategy Use and Writing Strategies
        Perceived to be Useful within Plot Summary Assignment………………..56
Table 12. Summary of Results of Writing Strategy Use and Writing Strategies 
        Perceived to be Useful within Reading Response Assignment……………57
Table 13. Summary of Results of Writing Strategy Use and Writing Strategies 
        Perceived to be Useful within Resume Assignment……………………….58
Table 14. Summary of Results of Writing Strategy Use and Writing Strategies 
        Perceived to be Useful within Argumentative Essay Assignment………...59
Table 15. The Result of the Strategies of Significance on Repeated Measure 
        Design t-test………………………………………………………………..60
Table 16. Students’ Use of Writing Strategies not Presenting in the Journal Entry….61

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