**2. Methodology**

198 Learning Disabilities

(Graham et al., 2002), which analyzes and assesses the teachers' beliefs regarding the formal and informal methods for teaching writing. The scale of teacher effectiveness in writing, *Teacher Efficacy Scale for Writing* (Graham et al., 2001) describes personal and general selfefficiency. The scale of teachers' writing practices, *Teacher Writing Practices Scale* (Graham et al., 2000) provides information on the skills involved in writing and the instruction methods used by teachers in the classroom. These questionnaires are useful for assessing both teachers' theoretical orientation in relation to the writing teaching-learning process, as well as the procedures and activities that are generally followed in the teaching of writing, i.e. the type of practices that are developed in class from three different dimensions, (i) the thoughts concerning the effects of this type of instruction, (ii) the correction of writing and (iii) the

The data obtained in the review of studies show that the teachers' beliefs exert a strong influence on their practices and the success of their students in the classroom. In the area of language, for example, some theories suggest that these practices are shaped by the theoretical concepts or beliefs that teachers have on reading and writing instruction. If we correlate the efficacy and beliefs in their teaching of writing, the results are consistent with the statement that those teachers with a greater humanistic and a less controlling approach have a high sense of teaching efficacy. The authors of these studies believe that the effectiveness of teachers is an important element for effective teaching of writing. Therefore, knowledge of the theoretical approaches and guidelines on the instruction of teachers is significant in understanding the processes of teaching and learning (Graham, 2006; Troia,

These considerations justify the objective of this study, as it seeks to study and evaluate the processes and components of writing from the teachers' point of view (the student's motivation, the role of parents or family in this process, the use of strategies, procedures and instruments used by the teacher in teaching writing) and, also, teachers' theoretical orientation (beliefs, attributions and expectations, their sense of personal effectiveness and self-regulation) about the teaching-learning process of writing. This objective is consistent with the line of research undertaken by the Team of Excellence for Research Intervention Psychological Difficulties in Learning and Development [IPDDA], led by Dr. JN Garcia-Sanchez at the University of León in 1994. The line of research has focused on studying the factors, determinants and processes of writing. Furthermore, research studies have covered the following areas: the evaluation and implementation of analytical tools for writing, their evolution and development, as their involvement and optimization; the improvement of planning in writing for pupils with learning difficulties, and also on improving reflectivity in writing; the development of the motivation to write; the study of assessment-related morphological awareness, in working memory or attention; the improvement of metacognition in writing, self-knowledge and self-improvement in processes for reviewing the written message. In this respect, when we consider writing as a recursive process with significant cognitive demands concerning attention, operational memory and we also consider writing as rewriting, requiring significant planning and the use of effective instructional strategies, the teacher's role and what they do or the approach they take are relevant and essential in this evolution (García & de Caso, 2007; García & Fidalgo, 2008a, 2008b; García & Rodriguez, 2007; Fidalgo et al., 2008; Pacheco et al., 2009; García,

natural methods of learning.

2006; Troia & Maddox, 2004).

2007).
