ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the affective domain volition, which is defined as the need, desire, urge, or the internal compulsion to write, sometimes described as purposive striving or personal endorsement. The authors present evidence which shows how engagement of volition stimulates apprentice writers’ desire to harness the knowledge and skills necessary for the creation of excellent written texts. Theory, research, and educational practices associated with developing children’s volition to write and its important role in developing confident and effective writers are also explored in this chapter. Consideration is given to the typical behaviours witnessed in a rich variety of educational research and differences observed in the behaviour of pupil-writers who feel high or low levels of volition. Finally, the authors describe the relationship between apprentice writers’ volition to write and the 14 principles of effective writing teaching. Included are examples of the kinds of instructional practice carried out by the most effective teachers of writing.
