The writing process is a fundamental in literacy development, with the drafting stage serving as a critical phase as it allows learners to construct and refine their ideas. This study examines the implementation of the drafting stage in middle school classrooms, focusing on how teachers scaffold this phase. Using a qualitative case study approach, data were collected through classroom observations in two schools, teacher interviews, and learner writing samples from two schools. The findings reveal that both teachers assigned the drafting phase as homework, which possibly resulted in a high frequency of structural, grammatical, and content-related errors in the learners’ final submissions. Additionally, the study highlights discrepancies in the scaffolding techniques employed by teachers, despite adherence to the same curriculum guidelines. The study concludes that the absence of explicit drafting opportunities negatively impacts writing development and increases the cognitive burden on learners and teachers during the editing phase. It recommends incorporating in-class drafting sessions, structured peer and teacher feedback, and enhanced professional development for teachers to ensure effective writing instruction. These findings contribute to ongoing discussions on improving writing pedagogy and they provide practical insights for writing curriculum implementation.

Keywords: Writing process, drafting stage, middle school, feedback, professional development, writing pedagogy.