Modeling as a concept for writing instruction

In the subject physical education, demonstrating certain courses of motions is a common method of teaching, just like teachers in Maths calculate in front of the pupils while explaining their approach to them. During these lessons, teachers model patterns of acting that the pupils have to learn and thus they become models to the learners.

The AaMoL-project took up this idea: In a qualitative study, the project investigated the potential of model learning for scientific propaedeutical writing in the context of content classes and conceptualizes model learning from two different perspectives, namely as learning from a model and as learning as a model.

The study learning as a model investigated which thinking processes in the teachers are activated by modelling writing processes and how model learning thus can contribute to a further development of their scientific propaedeutical teaching competence.

The study learning from a model investigated which insights the pupils gain during model learning sessions for their own text production. The pupils investigated their teachers‘ text production process by observing and interviewing their teachers during a phase of model learning. Afterwards, they wrote down their findings in a research report that offered insights into the emic perspective of learning to the researchers. In the next step, the pupils developed concepts for learning videos on one main aspect in their research reports. These concepts were peer-reviewed and the videos were created during a two day workshop in Vienna and were presented to the scientific community at an online conference.

Thereby, their collaboration in the project was drafted in a way that allowed them to act as researchers themselves, to run through the important phases of a research project, to learn about scientific text types and to experience academic communicative methods. They benefited from the project not only immediately by drafting their VWA/Diplomarbeit, but also by acquiring key skills for a successful transition from secondary to tertiary education.