Dynamic Assessment as a Self-Regulation Strategy in the Acquisition of Textual Revision

Textual revision is a recursive process integral to writing. However, less experienced writers often struggle to select effective strategies, underuse self-regulation, and evaluate their work without metacognitive control. This study examined the effectiveness of instructional programs focused on textual revision, incorporating dynamic assessment as a means to promote self-regulation. A total of 88 secondary school students (aged 13–15) participated, randomly assigned by class group to one of four conditions: mechanical revision, substantive revision, combined revision, or rewriting. A quasi-experimental design with repeated measures was used to assess the revisions carried out by the students Each intervention focused on distinct revision strategies: surface-level corrections, content and structure, or a combination of both. The rewriting group received no specific instruction beyond the weekly practice of rewriting the text that the other groups worked on. Findings revealed that students in the substantive revision group achieved the greatest gains in their revisions. The study concludes that instructional approaches focused on deep, content-oriented revision are particularly effective in improving students’ writing performance and fostering self-regulatory skills. These findings highlight the value of embedding metacognitive support in revision-focused instruction.