부산대학교 도서관

Writing circles are "small groups . . . meeting regularly to share drafts, choose common writing topics, practice positive response, and in general, help each other become better writers" (Vopat, 2009, p. 6). In this exploratory study, writing circles were employed with elementary teacher candidates in hopes of enhancing their perceptions about writing and authorship. This mixed methods pilot used a convenience sample of 28 teacher candidates in a language arts methods course. Based on interest and using writing workshop elements, weekly writing circles were formed and generated one collaborative manuscript. Afterward, 68% of candidates reported improvement in writing skills. Retrospective responses were analyzed and coded to reveal the following themes: ideas, relationships, choice, improvement, and feedback. Furthermore, 96% of candidates reported enthusiasm for using writing circles in their future classrooms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]