Writing Voice - Argumentative Writing for Upper Primary School Students

Photo: Shane Colvin / UiO

Duration: 01.01.2026–

In the Writing Voice project, the aim is to develop students’ skills in argumentative writing. Through a targeted writing programme, students learn a range of strategies for argumentation and text creation. The goal is for every student to find their own writing voice and learn how to use it to express themselves, influence others, and be understood.

Contact

Janne von Koss Torkildsen CREATE - Senter for forskning på likhet i utdanning Project leader
Camilla Bøen Jerigjærvi CREATE - Senter for forskning på likhet i utdanning Adviser

About the Project

The project draws on research-based approaches to writing strategies, self-regulated strategy development, and perspective-taking. Through the Writing Voice programme, which is built around dilemmas that students can relate to, we aim to improve students’ writing skills while also strengthening their self-efficacy and motivation for writing.

Background

Writing is a fundamental skill across all academic subjects and is closely linked to students’ ability to think critically and abstractly. At the same time, writing is a challenging area, with considerable individual differences in performance. Research shows that writing skills can be strengthened through targeted, evidence-based interventions, which can also have positive effects on reading development.

Target Group

The project's target group is students in Year 6 (sixth grade). We know that the upper primary years are an important period before the transition to lower secondary school, when both motivation and self-efficacy may be particularly vulnerable. The final years of primary school provide a valuable opportunity to offer systematic and thorough writing instruction before students begin receiving grades in lower secondary education.