Browsing by Author "Figueroa, Javiera"

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
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    Cross-disciplinary language changes in 4th graders as a predictor of the quality of written scientific explanation
    (2023) Hugo Rojas, Evelyn Susana; Meneses, Alejandra; Montenegro, Maximiliano; Acevedo, Daniela; Figueroa, Javiera
    Upper elementary students face conceptual and linguistic challenges when writing in science. One way to scaffold science writing is the explicit teaching of cross-disciplinary language. Limited research has explored the dynamics of these language changes in instructional contexts. This study examines the micro-developmental changes in cross-disciplinary language skills and their contributions to the quality of 191 science explanations written by 65 fourth graders that participated in language and literacy-based instruction. The instruction’s pedagogical design was focused on writing-to-learn and learning-to-write the scientific explanation genre. Each student wrote an initial, a scaffolded draft, and a final explanation that was scored for scientific quality and productive cross-disciplinary language skills. Students’ prior and final scientific knowledge was also measured. The results showed large instruction size effects on the scientific quality (0.71), productive cross-disciplinary language skills (0.46), and explanation length (0.64). Stepwise regression analysis showed that prior and final science knowledge and productive cross-disciplinary language skills significantly predict the quality of the final explanation (R2 = .704, F(11,38) = 9.03, p < .000). This research offers evidence of the dynamic relationships between language, literacy, and science in contexts of explicit cross-disciplinary language instruction for disciplinary literacy and learning.
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    Effects of a genre and topic knowledge activation device on a standardized writing test performance
    (Elsevier Ltd, 2024) Avila Reyes, Nataly; Carrasco Ogaz, Diego; Escribano Alisio, María Del Rosario; Espinosa, María Jesús; Figueroa, Javiera; Castillo, Carolina
    The aim of this article was twofold: first, to introduce a design for a writing test intended for application in large-scale assessments of writing, and second, to experimentally examine the effects of employing a device for activating prior knowledge of topic and genre as a means of controlling construct-irrelevant variance and enhancing validity. An authentic, situated writing task was devised, offering students a communicative purpose and a defined audience. Two devices were utilized for the cognitive activation of topic and genre knowledge: an infographic and a genre model. The participants in this study were 162 fifth-grade students from Santiago de Chile, with 78 students assigned to the experimental condition (with activation device) and 84 students assigned to the control condition (without activation device). The results demonstrate that the odds of presenting good writing ability are higher for students who were part of the experimental group, even when controlling for text transcription ability, considered a predictor of writing. These findings hold implications for the development of large-scale tests of writing guided by principles of educational and social justice.
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    Experiencias de escritura académica: Un estudio longitudinal con estudiantes diversos
    (2021) Avila Reyes, Natalia Alejandra; Figueroa, Javiera; Calle-Arango, Lina; Morales, Solange
    La investigación sobre escritura en educación superior se ha centrado en características de los textos producidos por los estudiantes, pero no en sus experiencias como sujetos que se enfrentan a la escritura en sus carreras y la adquieren gradualmente. Este artículo busca identificar los factores que influyen y modelan el desarrollo de los estudiantes como escritores académicos en los primeros años de su pregrado y los cambios experimentados. Durante tres años se siguieron las trayectorias de 21 estudiantes admitidos por vías regulares e inclusivas a una universidad chilena selectiva y tradicional. Se realizaron 119 entrevistas analizadas cualitativamente para identificar tópicos y compararlos entre participantes, y longitudinalmente. Los resultados muestran que la falta de preparación y de orientación sobre escritura constituyen obstáculos para la formación escrita de los participantes, mientras que la presencia y acompañamiento de otros resulta claves en sus procesos formativos. Además, los cursos que ofrece la universidad son apoyos para el aprendizaje de la escritura, pero hay escasa transferencia de sus conocimientos hacia los cursos disciplinares.
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    Oportunidades para aprender a escribir: la escritura auténtica en el aula
    (Centro de Estudios Avanzados sobre Justicia Educacional (CJE), 2024) Espinosa, María Jesús; Figueroa, Javiera; Avila Reyes, Natalia Alejandra