The thesis presents the meaning and role of creative writing in teaching literature in elementary school. The first theoretical part discusses contemporary cognitive theory in which writing itself is a process as important as the text. Since the traditional conception of writing was centered on the result of the writing process – the text. The cognitive writing model is composed of three parts: 1. task environment; 2.the writers’ long term memory and 3. writing process. In addition two writing models are discussed: the simpler knowledge telling and the more complex knowledge-transforming model. Knowledge of writing strategies for improving the writing process is a part of the writing model. The first part of the thesis is based on the theory of divergent thinking which encompasses the definition of creativity, characteristics of divergent thinking and creative individuals and methods of stimulating creativity.
The second part of the thesis presents a historical overview of theories of written compositions in school commencing from the year 1850 to the present time, including four important turning points (I) originators of composition writing Majar (1850) and in continuation Praprotnik. (II) The second period marked by Bezjak and Lichtenwallner (1908) strive to promote, a new, no longer the old teaching of writing. Originating from this period are also textbooks by Bezjak and Schreiner, reading – books by Bajec, Rupel, Sovre and Kolarič. (III) The third period is represented by Šilih (1955), who tries to re-evaluate teaching, new, no longer the old manner of teaching composition writing. This period is carried into the 1950's by Trdina (1955–1964) and Silvester (1959 – 1960) and is followed by a time in which writing is schools emphasizes on the text – product of writing and linguistic correctness of written compositions. (IV) The 1980's and 1990's mark the beginning of creative workshops simulated not only by the influence of American schools but also by the development of the educational system, mother – tongue didactics and literature, a greater democratization of teaching and a new conception of the child. This has lead to a division between poetry prose workshops on one hand and creative writing in school on the other. The end of the twentieth century marks the emergence of contemporary theories of writing.
In the third part of the thesis the author proposes a model of teaching writing based on Slovene tradition and practice of written compositions and at the same time supplements the proposition of the curriculum of the Slovene language for the nine year elementary school. The proposed model is congruent with the above mentioned curriculum and is at the same time it's supplement. School writing is conceptualized as a didactic process that must take into account the task environment, the writer’s long – term memory and the writing process. Student creative writing in the planning phase with developing writing strategies in the translating phase and improvement in the reviewing phase. The model is a cognitive writing model that seeks to develop writing skills with text creation methods through the simple knowledge telling strategy up to the more advanced knowledge transforming strategy.
Additions to the thesis are titles of written compositions dating from 1849 to 2000. These titles are thematically and structurally analyzed in the second part of the thesis and like the work itself indicate further research possibilities.
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