DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF AN INVENTORY TO ASSESS PROCESSES IN COLLEGE COMPOSITION

A series of studies was conducted to design and validate a self-report instrument to assess patterns of strategy use in college composition - composing styles. Factor analysis of items derived from models of st udent learning yielded five scales: Elaborationist, Low Self-efficacy, Reflective-Revisionist, Spontaneous-Impulsive and Procedural. The Ela borationist scale was marked by personalisation in writing and a dynam ic conception of the composing process. Similarly, the Reflective-Revi sionist orientation focused on meaning as an emergent process involvin g the active reworking of written discourse. The Low-self-efficacy sty le was characterised by little confidence in writing abilities and an overriding concern for surface aspects of composition, grammar and pun ctuation. The Spontaneous-Impulsive style represented an 'off the cuff , impromptu orientation, and the procedural profile described a method ological orientation aimed at satisfying a requirement. The scales wer e found to be independent of a measure of learning styles. Low self-ef ficacy and Reflective-Revisionist were predictive of grade in freshman composition. Implications for teaching are discussed.