Examining the Conceptualizations, Perceptions, and Practices of Adolescent Writers

In this article, the authors describe a mixed-methods study in which an adapted Motivation to Write Profile (MWP)—the CLMWP—was used to investigate the conceptualizations, perceptions, and practices of adolescent writers. Results of this study suggested that participants held differing conceptualizations of writing, depending on the context. In addition, participants held differing conceptualizations of what constitutes “good writing.” Specifically, other people's writing qualified as good based on reader-reception and holistic qualities of readability; by contrast, their own writing was good based on very specific, often surface-level readability skills such as word choice and spelling. We argue that a deeper understanding of adolescents’ writing practices outside of the school environment is crucial for developing confident, lifelong writers.