Investigating the thinking processes of eighth grade writers during the composition of a scientific laboratory report

This study examined the thinking processes used by 16 eighth grade science writers during laboratory report writing and explored the possibility that writing can contribute directly to science learning. Using Bereiter and Sca rdamalia's (1987) knowledge-transformation model of writing as a theoretica l lens, the study characterized specific content and rhetorical thinking en gaged in by the students using think-aloud protocols and qualitative data a nalysis methodologies. Thinking aloud was also related to the quality of th e students' written products. Five of the 16 students exhibited no mental r eflection during writing, recording information straight from memory into t he composition. Two students engaged primarily in rhetorical planning, spec ifying the sequencing and organization of their writing in advance. Nine st udents demonstrated scientific problem solving including hypothesis and evi dence generation, examining patterns in the data, and making general knowle dge claims in response to the need to generate content for writing, indicat ing that the act of report writing can stimulate science learning directly. However, thinking during writing was not necessary to compose a report tha t contained hypotheses and supporting evidence. (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.