@book{835,
	author = {Jacinto, Marigem G.},
	title = {Writing difficulties in english among selected first year college students at the Nueva Vizcaya State Institute of Technology/},
	publisher = {Nueva Vizcaya State Institute of Technology,},
	year = {1997.},
	address = {Babyombong:},
	note = {The study explored the writing difficulties in the learning of writing among selected first year English classes of the Nueva Vizcaya State Institute of Technology for School Year 1994-1995.

The study made use of the descriptive-normative survey.

Thirty (30) students randomly selected (15 BSEED, with a mean age of 20.3 and 15 BSHT students, with a mean age of 18.2), with an average IQ of "Below Average" for BSEEd and "Very Low" for the BSHT (based on the Otis Lennon School Ability Test (OLSAT) Form J composed the study group.

The students were given writing lessons using Dictocomp, Diotogloss, Guided Writing, and Free Writing.

Writing Difficulties met by the students were tested along the following dimensions:

1. Organization

2. Content3. Structure

Similarly, differences in the writing difficulties of the subjects along a) age; b) course enrolled in; c) NCEE scores; d) high school graduated from; e) socio-economic status; f) educational attainment of parents; g) reading materials at home; h) I.Q level based on the Otis Lennon School Ability Test (OLSAT); (Form J) were explored.

Furthermore, the implications of these writing difficulties for improving teaching and Communication Arts in English were studied. learning of

To test whether the difficulties differed significantly along Organization, Content and Structure (mechanics), data were analyzed using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA). The t-test for independent samples was used to test differences along such variables as age course enrolled in, NCEE score, high school graduated from, socio-economic status, educational attainment of parents, reading materials at home, and IQ level based on the Otis Lennon School Ability Test (OLSAT) Form J.

The findings of the study are summarized as follows:

1. Under Organization, the mean achievement of the students in Free Writing and Dictocomp was significantly different from the student's mean achievement in Guided Writing.

2. Under Content, the mean achievement of the students in Dictocomp (75.3) was significantly different from their mean achievement in Guided Writing (72.9).

3. Under Structure/mechanics the mean achievements of the students across the four levels of writing (Free Writing, Guided Writing, Dictocomp and Diotogloss, were significantly different

4. Along the variables: age; course enrolled in: NCEE score; high school graduated from; socio-economic status; educational attainment of parents; reading materials at home and IQ level based on the Otis Lennon School Ability Test (OLSAT) Form J, the mean achievements of the students did not significantly differ.

Based on the findings of this study, the following conclusions are arrived at:

Under Organization, the study group achieved better in Free Writing than in Guided Writing. They also achieve better in Dictocomp than in Guided Writing. Under Content, the students achieved better in Dictocomp than in Guided Writing. Under Structure, the students do not differ in their writing difficulties across the four levels writing. Age does not introduce any variation in the writing difficulties of the students. The BSHT students. experience more writing difficulties than the BSEEd group under Dictocomp and Dictogloss. The students with low NCEE percentile ratings experience more writing difficulties than the students with high NCEE ratings under Dictocomp and Dictogloss.

The writing difficulties of the students categorized into "Public" and "Private" based on high school graduated from do not differ under Guided Writing, Dictocomp, and Dictogloss, but differ under Free Writing. Students who come from low-income families do not necessarily achieve less than those students who come from high income families. Interestingly, students with parents of "low" educational attainment as well as students with parents of "high" educational attainment have the same writing achievement. Books and Periodicals do not create any difference in the writing difficulties of students. Such findings warrants a need to go deeper into this problem through an in depth study.

In the light of the findings in this study, the following recommendations are arrived at: A review of the course syllabus in the language teaching testing program of the Institute should be undertaken: A thorough improvement the language testing program centering on the basic rules on grammar and rhetoric is deemed necessary: A replication of this study using a larger sample and involving public and private institutions of higher learning may generate needed information that may redound to better teaching of English classes at the Nueva Vizcaya State Institute of Technology (NVSIT) and elsewhere.}
}