Date of Award

6-26-1997

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Teaching & Learning

First Advisor

Kathleen Gershman

Abstract

This study examined student perceptions of how teaching with writing affects undergraduate students. The focus was on upper division students, usually seniors, who were enrolled in majors where writing activities were incorporated into most or all of the classes in their fields. Questions about the value of writing and the development of a writer, both in the context of a writing-intensive major, were addressed.Data were gathered primarily through in-depth and open-ended interviews with students; classroom observations and document analysis supplemented the interviews. Themes in the data were elicited by a process of coding and reducing data until the major patterns emerged. The use of various data sources, as well as multiple interviews, allowed cross-checking for credibility.Findings described and supported by the data were grouped under two themes: the value of writing and the development of a writer. Students believed that writing could be a valuable learning experience and an important, worthwhile addition to a class. However, they also explained that the value of writing activities depended on the assignments themselves. Not all assignments were seen as useful, despite their potential value.Students agreed that it is possible to develop as a writer over time, and they described teachers as the single most important influence on that development. Teachers most often exerted influence on development through their comments on student writing, although comments were not uniformly helpful. In addition to the importance of teacher feedback, students cited the influence of role models, practice with writing and revision, extensive experiences with reading, and the student's own hard work as factors that could improve their writing abilities. Students noted that they occasionally encountered negative influences on their writing development as well; both teachers and students themselves sometimes created impediments to writing development. Confidence was cited both as a result of successful writing experiences and a significant factor in the further improvement of writing.

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