The Development
Of Writing Skills In Fourth Year Students In EGB (EGB)
El Desarrollo
De Habilidades De Redacción En Los Estudiantes De
Cuarto Año De La EGB
Silvia Carmita
Sarango
Bachelor of Science
Universidad
Bolivariana del Ecuador, Quito Ecuador
https://orcid.org/0009-0002-8942-045X
Mónica Esperanza Tene González
Bachelor of Science in Education
Universidad
Bolivariana del Ecuador, Quito Ecuador
https://orcid.org/0009-0007-5679-0899
Jorge
Vicente Cabrera Mendoza
Master of
Science in Education
Universidad
Bolivariana del Ecuador, Quito Ecuador
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4480-0507
Marco Antonio Espín Landázuri
Master of Science in Education
Universidad
Bolivariana del Ecuador, Quito Ecuador
https://orcid.org/0009-0006-8793-9943
The development of writing skills in the subject of
Language and Literature is essential to form students capable of expressing
ideas in a clear and structured manner. This study, based on a mixed approach
and a pre-experimental design, was conducted with students in the fourth year
of General Basic Education at the Alonso de Mercadillo Educational Unit in the
province of Zamora Chinchipe, Ecuador during the 2024-2025 academic year. Its
objective was to propose and validate a didactic strategy that promotes the
integral improvement of these skills. The initial diagnosis revealed a
predominance of medium and low levels in key competencies such as textual
coherence, use of logical connectors and literary resources. In response, a
strategy was designed consisting of eight sequential phases that integrate
traditional and technological methods, encouraging active participation,
autonomous practice and critical reflection. The validation of the strategy,
through expert panels and its subsequent practical application, showed positive
results. Students achieved significant improvements in the organization of
ideas, creativity in the use of literary resources and textual revision skills.
Guided and autonomous activities, together with adjustments based on
qualitative feedback, allowed consolidating learning and addressing contextual
needs. These findings reinforce the relevance of structured didactic strategies
adapted to educational realities for the comprehensive development of writing
skills.
Key words: Text Writing, Writing Skills Development, Language And
Literature, General Basic Education.
Resumen
El desarrollo de habilidades de redacción en la asignatura de Lengua y
Literatura es esencial para formar estudiantes capaces de expresar ideas de
manera clara y estructurada. Este estudio, basado en un enfoque mixto y un
diseño preexperimental, se realizó con estudiantes de cuarto año de Educación
General Básica de la Unidad Educativa Alonso de Mercadillo de la provincia de
Zamora Chinchipe, Ecuador durante el año académico 2024-2025. Su objetivo fue
proponer y validar una estrategia didáctica que promueva la mejora integral de
estas habilidades. El diagnóstico inicial reveló predominancia de niveles
medios y bajos en competencias clave como coherencia textual, uso de conectores
lógicos y recursos literarios. En respuesta, se diseñó una estrategia compuesta
por ocho fases secuenciales que integran métodos tradicionales y tecnológicos,
fomentando la participación activa, la práctica autónoma y la reflexión
crítica. La validación de la estrategia, mediante paneles de expertos y su
posterior aplicación práctica, mostró resultados positivos. Los estudiantes
alcanzaron mejoras significativas en la organización de ideas, creatividad en
el uso de recursos literarios y habilidades de revisión textual. Las
actividades guiadas y autónomas, junto con ajustes basados en retroalimentación
cualitativa, permitieron consolidar aprendizajes y atender necesidades
contextuales. Estos hallazgos refuerzan la relevancia de estrategias didácticas
estructuradas y adaptadas a las realidades educativas para el desarrollo
integral de habilidades de redacción.
Palabras
clave:
Redacción De Textos, Desarrollo De Habilidades De Redacción, Lengua Y
Literatura, Educación General Básica.
Introduction
In today's society, the development of communication skills is
fundamental due to their direct impact on human interaction, whether in the
personal, academic or professional sphere (Mamani & Arteta, 2020). People
who master these skills can express their ideas clearly, facilitating
understanding and reducing misunderstandings. In an increasingly interconnected
world, where collaboration and teamwork are key, these competencies are
indispensable to achieve effective and productive relationships (Capcha et
al., 2023).
In addition, increasing globalization has made communication skills even
more essential. The ability to interact effectively with people from different
cultures and contexts is an added value in many professions (Pérez, 2022). In
this sense, communicative competencies are not limited to language proficiency,
but also include intercultural understanding, empathy and listening skills,
essential qualities in socialization environments.
In academia, the development of these skills is equally important.
Students who cultivate communicative competencies improve their performance in
class participation or the elaboration of written work and also excel in oral
presentations and debates (Tenesaca, 2021). These abilities allow them to
argue, persuade and collaborate effectively, essential skills in the
construction of knowledge and in the consolidation of comprehensive learning.
From these conceptual references, the need to strengthen
communication skills is reflected in the context of new technologies. Digital
platforms require individuals to be able to express themselves adequately
through various media, whether in social networks, emails or videoconferences
(Vélez et al., 2024). The ability to adapt the message according to the
channel and the audience is fundamental to ensure that information is
transmitted efficiently and that communication objectives are successfully
achieved.
In this sense, the prioritized curriculum with emphasis on digital,
communicational, mathematical and socioemotional competencies for student
learning in Ecuador responds to the demands of an increasingly interconnected
and dynamic world (Mina-Quiñonez et al., 2023). These competencies
prepare students to face the technological and occupational challenges of the
21st century and foster key skills such as critical thinking, problem solving,
and adaptability (Sanchez, 2022). A balanced approach enables students to be
well-rounded citizens , capable of actively contributing to the social and
economic development of the country.
Today, writing proficiency is more relevant than ever due to the growing
importance of written communication in digital formats such as emails, blogs,
social networks, and academic papers (Medina, 2021). Students who manage these
competencies well have a competitive advantage, as they can better adapt to the
demands of the workplace and academia, where clear and precise writing is
highly valued (Mantuano & Villavicencio, 2023).
In this sense, the teaching of writing contributes to the development of
creativity and original thinking in students. Through writing, they can explore
ideas, construct narratives, and express emotions in a unique way (Condori et
al., 2022). This enriches their personal development and strengthens their
self-esteem and confidence as they see their ideas effectively captured in
text. These skills are essential for active participation in a society that
values innovation and originality.
From this perspective, the need to develop writing skills in Language
and Literature responds to the demand of for critical citizens committed to
their social reality. Writing allows students to analyze, argue and question
situations from a grounded perspective, promoting their active participation in
public debate (Ochoa & Rivadeneira et al., 2024). Therefore,
including a solid approach in the teaching of writing is a fundamental step to
guarantee a comprehensive education that prepares students to face the
challenges of the 21st century.
In these circumstances, in the General
Basic Education of the Alonso de Mercadillo Educational Unit in the province of
Zamora Chinchipe, Ecuador, pedagogical actions are developed to improve
the students' ability to communicate effectively and creatively through
writing. However, through a preliminary descriptive study developed in fourth
grade students, the following manifestations were identified that reveal the
existence of a research problem:
·
Limitations in writing
narrative and descriptive texts, showing limited vocabulary and frequent errors
in grammatical structure, which affects the clarity and quality of the content.
·
Problems in the
organization of ideas, evidencing a deficient use of adequate connectors to
link sentences and paragraphs, which hinders reading comprehension.
·
Inadequate proofreading and
correction of texts, since they do not effectively identify and correct
spelling, grammatical and punctuation errors, leaving inconsistencies that
impair the final presentation.
·
Scarce incorporation of
literary resources such as metaphors, similes and personifications, which
limits the expressive and creative richness of their productions.
·
Difficulties in writing
varied texts, showing little ability to adjust style and tone according to the
communicative purpose and target audience.
These manifestations make it possible to determine the scientific
problem: How to contribute to the development of
writing skills in students of the fourth year of General Basic Education? Based on the theoretical and practical
background previously argued, the objective of the present work is to propose a
didactic strategy for the development of writing skills in students of
the fourth year of General Basic Education of the Alonso de Mercadillo Educational Unit of the province of Zamora Chinchipe,
Ecuador in the academic year 2024-2025.
Methodology
Development
The research process was carried out through a dynamic that started with
the systematization of the research methodology to achieve the results. The
results of the initial diagnosis of the development of writing skills are
presented, followed by the design of the didactic strategy for the development
of these skills and, finally, the validation of the designed didactic strategy.
Research methodology
The research was developed under a mixed approach, integrating quantitative
and qualitative methods to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the
phenomenon studied, as supported by Alban et al. (2020). This approach
allowed us to analyze both numerical data obtained through tests and
qualitative insights collected through interviews and questionnaires, offering
a holistic view of the development of writing skills in students.
The study was placed at an explanatory level, according to
Hernández-Sampieri et al. (2018), since it sought to identify the causal
relationships between the implementation of a didactic strategy and the
development of writing skills. This level allowed us to delve into the factors
that affect such skills and to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposal in a
real educational context.
A pre-experimental design with pre-test and post-test was used, which
facilitated the comparison of the level of writing skills before and after the
application of the didactic strategy. This design made it possible to measure
the changes produced in the selected sample, ensuring an objective evaluation
of the proposed intervention.
The following steps of the research process were followed:
1. Initial diagnosis: a standardized test was applied to students to
identify their level of development in writing skills ,
together with an interview with teachers to determine achievements,
insufficiencies in the development of these skills, as well as their possible
causes.
2. Design of the didactic strategy: based on the results of the diagnosis,
a didactic strategy was developed based on interactive activities, use of
literary resources and revision and correction exercises.
3. Validation of the strategy: A panel of experts evaluated the strategy by
means of a questionnaire, considering criteria of relevance, clarity,
applicability and originality. In addition, the methodological strategy was
evaluated by means of a pre-experiment.
As a guide for the research process, the following idea was formulated:
the implementation of a didactic strategy specifically designed for the
educational context significantly improves the writing skills of students in
the fourth year of General Basic Education. The variable: development of
writing skills is defined as the students' ability to structure coherent texts,
employ adequate vocabulary, use literary resources and revise their writings
with precision, adapting to different communicative contexts (Ochoa &
Rivadeneira et al., 2024). The variable was operationalized in the
following skills (Ministry of Education, 2016):
·
Organize ideas in a
coherent and logical manner, using appropriate connectors to link sentences and
paragraphs.
·
Proofread and correct their
own texts, identifying and correcting spelling, grammatical and punctuation
errors.
·
Employ literary resources
such as metaphors, similes and personifications to enrich written texts.
·
Write different types of
texts, such as letters, stories, descriptions and tales, adapting style and
tone according to purpose and audience.
To collect data in the research process, the following instruments were
applied: a standardized test was administered to students to diagnose the
initial level of writing skills; an interview with teachers to identify
achievements and shortcomings in the development of writing skills and to
determine the causes of the shortcomings. An expert questionnaire was also used
to validate the didactic strategy.
A Likert-type scale was used for the evaluation of writing skills in the
pre-test and post-test, categorizing the results into four levels: Very high,
High, Medium and Low. This scale made it possible to comprehensively assess the
students' abilities in aspects such as coherence, vocabulary, use of literary
resources and grammatical accuracy, facilitating the analysis of the progress
achieved after the implementation of the didactic strategy.
The population consisted of 128 students in the fourth year of General
Basic Education, selecting a non-probabilistic sample by convenience of 34
students in parallel "B" and four teachers who work directly with
this group. Before its implementation, the didactic strategy was reviewed by
five experts in Didactics and Language and Literature, who evaluated its pedagogical relevance, internal coherence, flexibility,
applicability and pertinence , by means of a questionnaire.
The pre-experiment consisted of applying a pre-test to the students to
determine their initial level of writing, implementing the teaching strategy
for a period of eight weeks and, finally, conducting a post-test to evaluate
the changes in their writing skills.
The research, based on a mixed approach and an explanatory level, used a
pre-experimental design with pre-test and post-test to evaluate the
effectiveness of a didactic strategy in the development of writing skills.
Following a systematic process of diagnosis, design and validation, a
significant improvement in students' skills was achieved, demonstrating the
relevance of pedagogical strategies adapted to the context and specific
educational needs.
Initial diagnosis of writing skills development
The initial diagnosis of the development of writing skills was carried out through the application of a standardized test to
students and an interview with teachers. The quantitative results of the
standardized test given to students to identify their level of development in
writing skills are presented in Figure 1.
Figure 1: Developmental
level of students' writing skills in the pre-test.
Source: own elaboration.
The analysis of the results obtained from the standardized test made it
possible to identify specific trends in the writing skills of fourth-year
students. In the aspect related to the ability to write narrative and
descriptive texts using adequate vocabulary and correct grammatical structures,
it was evidenced that 35.3% of the students reached a low level, while a
reduced percentage, of 11.8%, achieved a very high performance. This showed a
significant dispersion in the development of this skill.
Regarding the organization of ideas in a coherent and logical manner,
using appropriate connectors, it was observed that the medium level was
predominant, with 38.2% of the students in this category. However, 32.4%
reached a low level, reflecting substantial difficulties in managing coherence
and cohesion in their texts. Only 11.8% reached a very high level, showing that
this skill requires strengthening in most of the group.
Regarding the ability to revise and correct texts, the results showed
that 38.2% of the students were at the low level, while 32.4% were at the
medium level. This indicates a limited ability to identify and correct errors
in their writing. The high and very high levels were reached by only 17.6% and
11.8% of the students, respectively, indicating a gap in the development of
this skill.
In the use of literary resources such as metaphors, similes and
personifications, the majority of students, 47.1%, reached a medium level,
while 35.3% were at the low level. The high and very high levels were the least
represented, with 11.8% and 5.9%, respectively. These results show a scarce
incorporation of literary elements in their written productions, which affects
the creativity and expressive richness of the texts.
The ability to write different types of texts, such as letters, stories,
descriptions and narratives, showed better results compared to the other areas
evaluated. A total of 47.1% of the students were positioned at the medium
level, while the high and very high levels reached 20.6% and 14.7%, respectively.
Only 17.6% were at the low level, which indicated that this skill is
developing, although it still requires attention.
At the general level, the data reflected a trend towards a predominance
of medium and low levels in the different areas evaluated, with varying
percentages depending on the specific competency. The very high and high
categories had limited representation, standing out as exceptions in a group
with mostly regular or insufficient results.
The descriptive statistics used allowed us to identify significant
patterns in student performance, showing that writing skills need a specific
didactic approach to strengthen areas such as coherence, text revision and the
use of literary resources. In summary, the results of the diagnostic test indicated
marked deficiencies in writing skills in fourth year students. This establishes
the need to implement pedagogical strategies to improve the competencies
detected as insufficient and to consolidate the areas where students already
show a more solid performance.
The qualitative analysis of the interview with the teachers showed that
the students demonstrated punctual achievements in the writing of narrative and
descriptive texts, especially in those with greater interest in reading and
with a wider vocabulary. However, they pointed out that a considerable group
had difficulties in structuring their texts in a coherent and adequate manner,
which was manifested in the frequent presence of grammatical errors and
limitations in the lexical diversity used.
Regarding the organization of ideas, the teachers identified as the main
insufficiency the scarce use of logical connectors and transitions between
paragraphs, which affects the fluency of the texts. Although some students
managed to make progress in this skill, most had problems linking ideas clearly
and logically. Interviewees also highlighted that this difficulty seems to be
associated with limited exposure to regular structured writing practices in the
classroom.
Regarding the revision and correction of their own texts, teachers
agreed that students lacked metacognitive skills to identify and correct
spelling and grammatical errors. In this aspect, they indicated that the lack
of autonomy in writing hinders the capacity for self-evaluation, and that this
insufficiency could be related to a teaching focused more on production than on
reflection on the writing process.
Finally, the interviewees pointed out as a significant challenge the
scarce incorporation of literary resources in the students' texts. Although
they acknowledged that some attempted to employ metaphors or similes, these
resources were used in a limited manner and often without a clear purpose.
According to the teachers, this limitation was due to both a lack of
familiarity with literary texts and insufficient instruction in the creative
application of these devices.
The initial diagnosis revealed a predominantly medium and low
performance in students' writing skills, with marked difficulties in coherence,
text revision and use of literary resources. Although some students
demonstrated significant achievements, especially in narrative and descriptive
texts, the findings highlight the need for pedagogical strategies focused on
strengthening critical competencies and fostering a more reflective writing
practice.
Design of the didactic strategy for the development of writing skills.
The didactic strategy presented as a contribution of the research is
structured in eight sequential phases that range from the definition of
objectives to the reflection on the learning process . Each phase includes
specific objectives and concrete actions designed to enhance writing skills,
promoting a student-centered approach. Traditional and technological methods
are incorporated, prioritizing the integral development of writing through
individual, collaborative and autonomous activities.
Results
Overall objective
To develop writing skills in fourth year students, strengthening
competencies in coherence, creativity, text revision, and adequate use of
grammatical structures and literary resources.
Phase 1: Definition of learning objectives
Specific objective: establish clear and specific goals to guide the
development of writing skills.
Shares:
·
Conduct an initial
diagnosis through writing tests and interviews with teachers.
·
Identify priority areas for
intervention, such as coherence, use of connectors and creativity.
·
Write specific learning
objectives in language understandable to students.
·
Share the objectives with
students so that they understand the goals of the strategy.
·
For example. Set specific
objectives: "Write descriptive texts about the Amazon" or
"Narrate an imaginary experience in Galapagos".
Phase 2: Guided teaching and modeling
Specific objective: to introduce basic writing techniques and structures
through practical examples and guided activities.
Shares:
·
Present examples of
narrative, descriptive and argumentative texts.
·
Explain the characteristics
of a well-structured text (introduction, development and conclusion).
·
Carry out practical
activities such as completing sentences with logical connectors.
·
Use educational videos or
digital presentations to illustrate the use of literary resources.
·
Demonstrate how to
proofread texts by identifying grammatical and spelling errors.
·
For example: Use digital
images of Galapagos to teach how to create detailed descriptions, incorporating
metaphors or similes.
Phase 3: Guided and collaborative practice
Specific objective: to promote learning through team activities and
group feedback.
Shares:
·
Form teams to write short
stories, assigning specific roles (writer, reviewer, editor).
·
Propose the creation of
collaborative texts using digital tools such as shared documents.
·
Organize group sessions to
analyze model texts, identifying strengths and areas for improvement.
·
Conduct writing workshops
in which students share and receive feedback on their drafts.
·
For example. Form groups to
write joint descriptions of an ecosystem (Andes, Amazon, Galapagos).
Phase 4: Autonomous practice
Specific objective: to develop independent writing skills and critical
self-evaluation.
Shares:
·
Assign individual writing
tasks, such as writing descriptions of familiar scenes.
·
Provide checklists for
students to self-assess the coherence and correctness of their texts.
·
Encourage the writing of personal
journals to practice first-person narratives.
·
Encourage the use of
technological tools such as spell checkers and applications to enrich
vocabulary.
·
For example. Assign a
homework assignment to write an imaginary letter to the Minister of Environment,
describing the problems of an ecosystem.
Phase 5: Personalized feedback
Specific objective: to provide constructive feedback to support the
development of specific skills.
Shares:
·
Individually review student
texts and provide written feedback.
·
Schedule individual
sessions to discuss strengths and areas for improvement.
·
Provide practical examples
to overcome the difficulties identified.
·
Highlight the progress made
by each student, reinforcing their confidence.
·
For example. Review
individual texts on Amazonian flora and provide detailed comments.
Phase 6: Review and correction
Specific objective: to teach how to identify and correct errors,
improving the quality of written texts.
Shares:
·
Provide specific exercises
to correct errors in model texts.
·
Teach the use of guides to
review grammar, spelling and textual cohesion.
·
Promote exchange activities
in which students review the texts of their peers.
·
Use editing and
proofreading software for occasional support.
·
For example. Provide a
descriptive text about mangroves and ask students to identify and correct
grammatical errors.
Phase 7: Final production and evaluation
Specific objective: to consolidate the skills developed through the
elaboration of integral texts.
Shares:
·
Ask them to write a
narrative or descriptive text that integrates what they have learned.
·
Establish clear evaluation
criteria, such as coherence, creativity and grammatical correctness.
·
Organize a socialization
activity in which students present their texts.
·
Grade texts with rubrics
and provide additional feedback based on the results.
·
For example: Ask students
to write a narrative article entitled "A day in the life of an explorer in
Galapagos".
Phase 8: Reflection and adjustment
Specific objective: to evaluate the learning process and adapt the
strategy according to future needs.
Shares:
·
Facilitate a group
discussion on the strengths and challenges of the writing process.
·
Apply surveys or
questionnaires to collect students' opinions on the activities carried out.
·
Identify significant
achievements and areas requiring further attention.
·
Adjust the didactic
strategy according to the results obtained, incorporating new elements if
necessary.
·
For example. Facilitate a
group discussion for students to reflect on their progress and challenges in
writing about the topic.
This student-centered strategy, enriched with ICT tools, promotes the
comprehensive development of writing skills, combining theory and practice to
achieve a sustainable improvement in writing competencies. This research
contribution establishes an innovative didactic model that progressively guides
the development of writing skills through interconnected phases. With a
student-centered approach, the proposal promotes collaborative and autonomous
activities, integrates ICT tools in a complementary manner and emphasizes
self-assessment and personalized feedback, achieving a comprehensive
improvement in students' written production and critical thinking.
Validation of the didactic strategy
The validation process of the didactic strategy was initially carried
out by a panel of five experts in Didactics and Language and Literature, who
completed a structured questionnaire designed to evaluate key aspects such as
pedagogical relevance, internal coherence, flexibility, applicability and
pertinence. The questionnaire included quantitative items, using a scale of 1
to 5, and open-ended questions that allowed detailed qualitative feedback to be
collected.
The experts evaluated that the strategy presented a solid and structured
design, highlighting its alignment with the needs of students in the fourth
year of General Basic Education. Particularly, they pointed out as strengths
the clear definition of objectives and the activities oriented to the development
of specific skills such as creative writing, coherent organization of ideas and
text revision. However, they suggested adjusting the sequencing of some phases
to ensure a smoother transition between guided and autonomous activities. Table
1 presents the quantitative results of the evaluations made by the experts.
The quantitative ratings provided by the
experts indicated average scores of 4.6 for pedagogical relevance, 4.8 for
internal coherence, 4.2 for flexibility, 4.4 for applicability and 4.7 for
pertinence, showing a high level of approval for most of the criteria.
Qualitative comments reinforced the importance of including more diverse
examples to address different cultural realities and adding more tools for
student self-assessment.
In the qualitative analysis, the experts
agreed that the strategy favored active learning and promoted the comprehensive
development of writing skills. Among the recommendations highlighted, they
included reinforcing the use of technological tools in the self-assessment and
feedback phases, without detracting from the traditional approach. In addition,
they suggested increasing the diversity of examples related to the Ecuadorian
context to enrich the activities.
After analyzing the evaluations and
suggestions, the strategy was adjusted by integrating the proposed changes.
Revision and correction activities were strengthened, textual examples based on
Ecuador's natural and cultural diversity were expanded, and evaluation
mechanisms were improved. With these modifications, the strategy was ready for
implementation in the educational environment.
The practical validation of the didactic
strategy was carried out through a pre-experiment with a unique sample group of
34 students, evaluating their writing skills before and after implementing the
didactic strategy.
Figure 2: Developmental level of students' writing skills in
the post-test.
Source: own elaboration.
After implementing the didactic strategy, a
significant increase was observed in the high and very high performance
categories in the skills evaluated. The post-test showed an increase in the
ability to write narrative and descriptive texts, with 38.2% of the students
placed in high and 20.6% in very high, in contrast to the lower levels
predominant in the pre-test.
The ability to organize ideas coherently
improved markedly: 35.3% of students reached a high level on the post-test,
compared to the 17.6% initially recorded. Although some difficulties persist in
the use of logical connectors, the proportion of students at medium and low
levels decreased considerably, suggesting a positive impact of guided and
autonomous activities.
In the skill of revision and correction, the
intervention was equally effective, with 26.5% of students placing high and
17.6% very high. The hands-on collaborative review activities contributed to
this progress, although some students still require further support to identify
complex errors.
The greatest improvement was evidenced in the
use of literary resources such as metaphors and similes, where 32.4% of the
students reached a high level in the post-test, compared to the initial 11.8%.
This is attributed to the creative approach of the strategy, which promoted the
use of these resources in meaningful contexts. However, 23.5% remained at medium
or low levels, reflecting a need to reinforce these skills.
Regarding the development of the ability to
write narrative and descriptive texts, the results obtained in the present
research are comparable with the findings of Sánchez (2014), where 60% of the
students reached similar levels, although these results were obtained in a
context with a greater focus on autonomous activities. On the other hand, León
(2024) reports a slightly lower 50%, attributed to limitations in the
integration of technological tools in the design of activities.
In the ability to organize ideas coherently,
52.9% of the students in this research reached high and very high levels, a
result higher than the 45% reported by Ochoa et al. (2021). The
difference could be due to the structured sequentiality of the phases proposed
in the present work. However, the results are similar to those obtained by
Bueno (2024), who reached 54% after implementing activities that prioritize the
use of logical connectors in group exercises.
In the qualitative analysis, the results of
the post-test show a positive impact of the didactic strategy on the
development of writing skills. The proportion of students at low and medium
levels was reduced, particularly in the ability to write narrative and descriptive
texts. However, some areas, such as revision and the use of literary resources,
require more attention to consolidate the learning achieved. Table 2 presents
the statistics used for the comparison of the pre-test and post-test.
Table 2: Results of the statisticians used for the
comparison of the pre-test and post-test
|
Statistician |
Very high |
High |
Medium |
Under |
|
Media |
20.58 |
34.12 |
28.24 |
17.06 |
|
Standard
Deviation |
3.63 |
4.89 |
6.11 |
5.99 |
|
Variance |
13.20 |
23.93 |
37.33 |
35.96 |
In the analysis of the means, in the post-test, a significant increase
is observed in the very high and high categories, especially in the latter,
suggesting that the didactic strategy helped to raise students' overall
performance. The means of the medium and low categories decreased in the post-test,
indicating that more students advanced to higher levels.
The dispersion in the very high and high levels of the standard
deviation increased slightly in the posttest, reflecting greater variability in
students who achieved high levels of performance. In the medium and low
categories, the standard deviation decreased, showing that students at these
levels had more homogeneous results.
The variance followed a trend similar to the standard deviation, with
increases in very high and high and decreases in medium and low. This supports
the hypothesis that the teaching strategy succeeded in better distributing
students at the higher levels. The results reflect an overall improvement in
writing skills, with a notable reduction in the percentage of students in the
low level and an increase in the higher levels. The reduction in the variance
in the middle and low levels also indicates a lower concentration of students
in these levels after implementing the strategy.
Conclusions
The development of writing skills in the subject of Language and
Literature contributes to the formation of students capable of expressing ideas
in a clear, structured and coherent manner. These skills allow them to convey
complex thoughts, organize arguments, and develop effective communication in
academic contexts as well as in everyday life.
The research, based on a mixed approach and an explanatory level, used a
pre-experimental design with pre-test and post-test, with the objective of proposing a didactic strategy for the
development of writing skills in fourth year students of General Basic
Education of the Alonso de Mercadillo Educational Institution, province of
Zamora Chinchipe, Ecuador in the academic year 2024-2025.
The diagnostic results showed a significant dispersion in writing
skills, with medium and low levels predominating in key areas such as coherence
and textual revision. The limited use of literary resources and logical
connectors underscored the need for specific didactic interventions to close
the identified gaps, promoting an integral development that enhances both
technique and creativity in writing.
The design of the didactic strategy integrates in a structured manner
eight sequential phases that prioritize the integral development of writing
skills in students. By combining traditional and technological methods, this
proposal offers a balanced approach that encourages active participation,
autonomous practice and critical reflection, consolidating competencies in
coherence, creativity and text revision adapted to the specific needs of the
educational context.
The validation of the didactic strategy demonstrated its effectiveness
in significantly improving students' writing skills, evidencing an increase in
performance levels after its implementation. The guided and autonomous
activities, complemented with adjustments suggested by experts, contributed to
strengthen key competencies such as the organization of ideas, the use of
literary resources and collaborative revision.
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