Writing and Pedagogy Dec 2025

Supporting and Co-Constructing Texts with Peers: Children's Collaborative Writing Practices

Sarah McCarthey ; Zhen Valerie Ren University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Abstract

Using both a Bakhtinian and a collaborative writing framework, in this qualitative study, we sought to understand writing practices in one elementary school. Through observations in three classrooms and interviews with students, the study found that students had opportunities to engage in a variety of collaborative writing activities, including supportive contributions and co-constructing a text. When engaging in supportive contributions, students inspired, assisted, or shared their work with peers. In collaborations of a single text, students who had experiences writing with one another negotiated ideas and texts successfully. In pairs where students experienced conflict, there tended to be fewer collaborative moments, and students sought help from the teacher. The study demonstrates that students’ relationships with one another play a significant role in collaborative writing practices and highlights the important role of friendships in successful interactions.

Journal
Writing and Pedagogy
Published
2025-12-01
DOI
10.3138/wap-2025-0003
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Open Access
Closed
Topics
teacher development collaborative writing qualitative research
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Cited by in this index (0)

No articles in this index cite this work.

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