Teaching what we know: Perspectives on the teaching practices and writing habits of freshman composition instructors.

Abstract

I found that each participant defined the word "writer" in a different way. They also established individual criteria for whether they were writers; for example, the participant who wrote prolifically did not consider himself a writer because he had not published a novel. However, each participant held a very consistent view through all the data gathering. For instance, one participant who viewed writing as utilitarian followed this orientation through her planning, activities, and assessment; her personal beliefs; and the goals she saw for freshman composition. The most interesting finding was that the three freshman composition instructors' personal beliefs about writing and being a writer influenced everything about their teaching. How instructors perceive themselves is central to their classroom practices. I would like to further investigate these results and see if they remain true for a larger (or different) population.

This qualitative study examined how perceptions about personal writing habits influenced the teaching practices of freshman composition instructors as they planned lessons, conducted classroom activities, and assessed essays. Related questions of beliefs about writing, writers, and composition instruction enhanced the primary research question. Because much of the data consisted of the thoughts of the instructors, teacher thinking theory served as the primary theoretical support. Compatible theories of composition instruction and sociocultural constructivism also contributed to the theoretical framework.

To gather the data, I conducted interviews with three participants at a regional university. I also observed their classes and had them complete think-aloud protocols and retrospective accounts. I analyzed results through qualitative coding that developed from the research questions and emerged from the analysis of data.