Date of Graduation

1994

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

Abstract

This study addressed the effect of metaphor on the quality of writing in 1st-/2nd-graders (Group A, N = 7), 2nd-/3rd-graders (Group B, N = 17), 3rd-/4th-graders (Group C, N = 9), and 4th-/5th-graders (Group D, N = 12). These grade levels are representative of the literal or conventional phase of expression wherein there is a typical resistance shown toward the use of metaphor. This study also focused on the relationship between frequency of metaphor and writing quality, and the effects of grade on quality scores over time. Each group received instruction in metaphor competence and wrote in response to a prompt. There were three data collection points: Spring of one school year (pretreatment, post-treatment 1) and Fall of the following school year (post-treatment 2). Evaluations were made for writing quality (using holistic criteria and trained readers) and metaphoric expressions (using current metaphor theory and trained readers). One-way ANOVAs with a repeated measure (data collection) were conducted to determine the effect of metaphor-based instruction on writing quality. A total of twelve simple regressions (4 groups {dollar}\imes{dollar} 3 data collections) were conducted to determine the relationship between frequency of metaphor and writing quality. One-way (group) ANOVAs were conducted to determine the effect of grade on quality gain scores over time. It was found that metaphor had a significant effect on writing quality for all Groups between post 1 and post 2 writings, and for Groups A, C, and D between pretreatment and post 2. A significant relationship was found between frequency of metaphor and writing quality for Group C in their post 2 writings. There were no significant effects of grade on quality gain scores across all groups between pretreatment to post 1 writings, pretreatment to post 2 writings, and post 1 to post 2 writings. Results suggest that metaphor-based instruction can influence the quality of writing in elementary school children. This influence is shared by development in the writing process. In rare instances, frequency of metaphor significantly effects writing quality. The presence of a more capable other for learning disabled students seemed to remove writing anxieties and facilitated writing rich in metaphor and story development. An instructional preamble in metaphor seems to facilitate the reawakening of metaphor competence in children who are in the literal stage of expression. The performance of identified learning-disabled students is discussed in the implications of this study. Future inquiry should include the presentation of metaphor in a supporting context to aid interpretation.

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