Development of a Writing Attitude Survey for Grades 9 to 12: Effects of Gender, Grade, and Ethnicity

In this study was developed an instrument for reliably and quickly assessing senior high school students' attitudes toward writing, primarily through modifying an instrument developed for Grades 4 to 8, and for examining the effects of gender, grade, and ethnicity on these students' attitudes toward writing. A 19-item survey instrument was administered to 870 students. There was no significant main effect for ethnicity, but effects for gender (girls had more positive attitudes toward writing than boys) and for grade. Students in Grade 12 had significantly more positive attitudes toward writing than students in Grades 9, 10, or 11.