Writing Paragraphs: Strategies and Experiences of Bachelor-Level Learners

Abstract

Paragraph writing is a fundamental skill in academic writing, requiring learners to articulate a single theme supported by coherent evidence. This study investigates the strategies employed and experiences encountered by first-year Bachelor in Education (B.Ed.) learners in writing paragraphs. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the research integrates a quantitative cross-sectional survey of 295 participants with a narrative inquiry involving five interviewees. Quantitative data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) for univariate, bivariate, and multivariate analyses, while qualitative data were gathered through semi-structured interviews, which were audio recorded, transcribed, coded, categorized, and thematized. The findings reveal that a majority of learners (65.8%) adopted ‘planning’ as a pre-writing strategy, while 55.3% engaged in ‘editing’ and 40.7% sought ‘feedback’ as post-writing strategies. Notably, significant differences were observed between learners from public and private schooling backgrounds, particularly in the use of ‘planning’ and ‘editing’ strategies, both demonstrating moderate effect sizes. Additionally, learners reported receiving more guidance on writing points than crafting complete paragraphs, resulting in inadequate feedback on paragraph organization. These findings highlight the need for instructors to provide explicit instruction, detailed feedback, and structured support in paragraph writing. The study underscores the importance of equipping learners with comprehensive strategies to enhance their paragraph-writing skills, bridging gaps between instructional practices and learner needs. This research contributes to understanding writing strategies and experiences in the context of tertiary-level education and suggests practical pedagogical implications for improving paragraph-writing instruction.