Student Writing Interests and Teacher Expectation

Abstract

This study explores student writing interests and the accuracy with Which teachers perceive those interests. Ninth grade student~, grouped by sex and ability selected and rated theme topics. Selected topics were then rateed by teachers in accordance with their perceptions of the average student. Data interpretation involved factor analyses by sex for the average ability group and analyses of variance for investigating difference.s. by sex between: 1) teachers and students of average ability; and 2) student ability levels.

Topics selected were relatively independent and differed somewhat by sex. Teachers were less effective judges of the writing interests of students of their own sex. Sex and ability grouping significantly contributed to variance In writing interests. Results should interest teachers involved with this age group.