The contributions of a mixed-methods approach in identifying the writing competence of 11/12-year-old pupils in the ECRICOL project

Abstract

This article, which stems from the ÉCRICOL research project, aims to show how qualitative and quantitative methodologies fit together in the process leading to the stabilised identification of writing skills and the difficulties experienced in this domain. Specifically, after mentioning a few contextual elements about the ÉCRICOL project, we define, in the light of previous works, the notion of scriptural competence before presenting the way in which it was operationalised as a tool for analysing the texts produced by pupils aged 11-12. We then outline the path taken, from the collection of these texts to the results of the analysis, which shows the transition from a detailed qualitative study requiring epistemological and practical choices to the quantification and massive processing of the data. We conclude by pointing out certain phenomena that require a reversed path (from quantitative to qualitative) in order to better understand them.