Small-group delivery of Grammar for Writing outperforms whole-class delivery on extended writing (effect size 0.21)¶
Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · causalr3·q3·i1small
Currency · newest study 2014 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person
Subclaims¶
Reading the evidence codes
q is the design tier, i the impact, n the sample, and the kind with its r
the rigour judged within that kind: what each code means.
This claim: no standardized effect is recorded in observations/ for it yet, so no benchmark reading is possible.
q3 i1 Among individually randomised eligible pupils, those allocated to additional small group teaching scored significantly higher in extended writing than those receiving whole-class teaching only (0.67 marks, p=0.02, effect size 0.21, 95% CI 0.04 to 0.38). → Torgerson 2014
Evidence¶
Torgerson 2014¶
Torgerson, D., Torgerson, C., Mitchell, N., Buckley, H., Ainsworth, H., Heaps, C., & Jefferson, L. (2014). Grammar for Writing: Evaluation Report and Executive Summary. Education Endowment Foundation. https://www.educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/evaluation
q3 · i1 · causal · r3
Primary individual-level multilevel regression on 631 pupils from 50 schools (210 small group, 421 whole class only), adjusted for predicted KS2 level, gender, FSM, EAL and month of birth. The article reports a "statistically significant increase of 0.67 marks" and an effect size of 0.21 (95% CI: 0.04 to 0.38).
"There was some evidence of a difference in extende d writing score between the allocated groups, with a statistically significant increase of 0.67 marks for those in the small group arm when compared with those in the whole group arm (p=0.02, 95% CI: 0.12 to 1.23)."
Discussion¶
Related Claims¶
- Small-group Grammar for Writing shows a statistically significant but small positive effect on extended writing versus control (effect size 0.24) — related
- Whole-class Grammar for Writing over four weeks does not significantly improve Year 6 pupils' extended writing compared with business-as-usual control — related
- The intervention showed no evidence of differentially benefiting pupils eligible for free school meals, despite a marginal group-by-FSM interaction — related
- Small group teaching appears an effective strategy for raising writing skills among pupils between Levels 3c and 4b — a broader claim this one bears on
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