Knowing and Writing History: A Study of Students' Expository Writing and Teacher's Expectations

This study investigated the language resources that 8th and 11th grade students drew on to write an exposition and considered the role of writing in school history. The study combined linguistic analyses of student writing with educational considerations in the under-researched content area of history. Using a qualitative methodology, the study drew on questionnaire data from 44 history teachers, interviews with four focus history teachers from two school districts in Sacramento, and essay data from these four teachers' classes. Teachers rated essays as successful and in need of improvement. These essays were then analyzed and linguistic patterns identified.