Pre-planning For Essay Writing And The Improvement Of Students’ Writing Skills In Secondary Schools Located In Rubaga Division, Kampala District, Uganda

ABSTRACT The study investigated the relationship between pre-planning for essay writing and the improvement of students’ writing skills in Secondary Schools in Rubaga Division, Kampala District, Uganda. The study was guided by the following objectives; to determine the students’ knowledge in preplanning for essay (composition) writing, to find out the improvement of students’ writing skills; and is there a relationship between pre-planning for essay and improvement of students writing skills. The study employed descriptive design. Questionnaires, interview guide and observations which were instruments used to gather data from 300 respondents from the three secondary schools. Percentage was used to analyze the data. The findings revealed that pre-planning for essay writing is practiced inadequately. The essay writing skills of students was insignificantly weak as the majority of respondents did not know the skills of writing a standard essay. There is a relationship between pre-planning and improvement of students writing skills. Based on the findings it was concluded that respondents whose essays or compositions were identified as best were written by first making a plan for such as listing paints. The following are the recommendations and they include: teaching the methods of planning for a composition or essay writing right from primary level, to reinforce pre-planning to the students, teachers to avoid the bad attitude of not wanting to teach skills of writing, use of incentives and to encourage library use and students sharing of knowledge with their colleagues..