Research in revision has failed to capture the impact of instructors’ teaching practices on students' perceptions of revision. This dissertation addresses the current gap in revision research by privileging students’ and teachers’ voices. Three first-year writing classes and their instructors participated in this study. The following kinds of data were collected from students and teachers: student surveys at the beginning and end of the class; first and final drafts for each major essay; interviews with six students from the classes; surveys completed by instructors at the end of the class; instructors' course materials; and interviews with each instructor.
Analysis of the data revealed that teaching practices influence students’ perspectives about revising and whether or not they value it. Four specific practices were found to be effective in helping students to value revision: first, the use of student texts in modeling how to give effective feedback; second, beginning the course with a focus on global, not local, issues in writing; third, continuing that focus on global issues by implementing activities focusing on collaborative learning and writing; and fourth, a workshop-centered classroom that further enhances students’ focus on global writing issues. Many students in classes that implemented these practices appear to have learned the following: a) to value their peers’ feedback as a critical element of revising; b) to see revision as a key element in helping them not only to improve a particular assignment but, most importantly, in helping them to grow as writers; c) to develop personal agency as writers. The study ends with recommendations for teachers and implications for future research.