Date of Award
Spring 2026
Document Type
Open Access Dissertation
Department
Educational Studies
First Advisor
Michael M. Grant
Abstract
Second grade students in dual-language immersion programs often experience limited vocabulary development and fluency in Spanish, which can affect their ability to comprehend texts and express ideas in writing. In many dual-language settings, Spanish writing instruction receives less instructional time than English literacy, resulting in limited opportunities for students to engage in sustained, structured writing. As a result, there is a need to examine instructional approaches that intentionally support Spanish writing development. The purpose of this action research was to evaluate the impact of a digital multimodal writing tool on second grade students’ informational writing skills in Spanish, as well as their attitudes toward writing in Spanish.
This study employed a convergent parallel mixed-methods action research design. The study was conducted in two second grade classrooms at Jaguar Language Academy in North Carolina and included 22 student participants enrolled in a two-way dual language immersion program. The innovation was implemented over an eight- week period during the Spanish science block and involved the use of the digital writing tool to support students’ informational writing in Spanish within a science unit. Quantitative data sources included pre- and post-innovation writing assignments and a student writing attitude survey. Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured student interviews and informal classroom observations.
Findings indicated that students demonstrated statistically significant growth in their Spanish informational writing skills following the digital writing innovation. Quantitative results showed improvements in overall writing performance, while survey findings indicated positive attitudes toward writing in Spanish. Qualitative analysis of student interviews identified themes related to increased confidence, engagement, and ownership as writers, as well as students’ perceptions that digital tools made writing feel more accessible and meaningful. Although students reported challenges related to task complexity and technological limitations, these challenges did not outweigh the perceived benefits of digital authorship. A discussion of the findings, implications, and limitations is also presented.
Rights
© 2026, Adriana Hart
Recommended Citation
Hart, A.(2026). Book Creator in a Dual Language Classroom: The Impact of a Digital Multimodal Writing Tool on Second Graders’ Spanish Informational Writing Skills And Attitudes Toward Writing. (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/8818