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Disciplinary Writing Expectations and Pedagogical Practices of History and Social Work Instructors

Kauza, Jacqueline Kay
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu158749521434082

Abstract Details

2020, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, English.
Writing in the Disciplines (WID) scholarship attends in detail to experts’ composing practices in professional discourse communities and to students’ learning in disciplinary classrooms. Yet few studies consider the writing-related pedagogical practices of disciplinary instructors. This study contributes to WID scholarship by exploring the writing-related expectations instructors in two disciplines (history and social work) hold for their undergraduates. Disciplinary instructors often aim to impart their discourse communities’ values to their students. Thus, study of instructors’ writing-related pedagogical practices and expectations for student writing can also reveal instructors’ writing-related disciplinary values. I explore participating instructors’ pedagogical practices, writing assignments, and perspectives on teaching writing to identify not only the instructors’ expectations for student writing, but the disciplinary ideologies and values underlying those expectations. In this qualitative study, methods of data collection include: semester-long observations in two undergraduate courses, one taught by a history instructor, one by a social work instructor; analysis of the instructors’ written feedback on student texts; and interviews with the two instructors, as well as with eight additional history instructors and six additional social work instructors. I coded and analyzed these data using iterative methods of constant comparison based on grounded theory. Findings revealed participating instructors’ pedagogical strategies and expectations for disciplinary assignments. The two classroom instructors each engaged students in the thinking practices valued in their respective disciplines. The history instructor, for example, encouraged students to perceive historical texts as subjective documents to be analyzed, while the social work instructor introduced students to multiple example client case studies to prepare them for client assessments in future social work practice. Analysis of assignments mentioned by participating instructors revealed the most common history assignments to be arguments and analyses of primary and secondary sources, and the most common social work assignments to be reflective writing and writing tasks mimicking professional social work genres. History instructors valued robust critical analysis of texts to support arguments about the past, while social work instructors valued preparing students for writing and self-reflection in their future careers. Additionally, analysis of commonalities between codes generated core categories (six in history, seven in social work) that showcase disciplinary instructors’ writing-related expectations and values. Categories for history are perspective; accuracy; argument: structuring text and sources; argument: thesis content, construction, and complexity; argument: cause and effect; and precision. Categories for social work are cooperative relationship; social systems; respect; evidence; mindfulness of self; realism and idealism; and presentation of information. The category of argument: thesis content, construction, and complexity, for example, reveals how history instructors value thesis statements that signal counterarguments, while the category of evidence demonstrates how social work instructors value grounding assessments of clients in observed details. I unpack each core category using thick description drawn from observations, interviews, and analysis of feedback. I conclude with a discussion of ideas for future research based on these findings, as well as suggestions about how composition instructors, writing tutors, and disciplinary instructors may use these findings to enhance their pedagogical practices.
Beverly Moss (Advisor)
Christa Teston (Committee Member)
Jonathan Buehl (Committee Member)
309 p.
Composition
Writing in the Disciplines; history writing; social work writing; writing pedagogy

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Kauza, J. K. (2020). Disciplinary Writing Expectations and Pedagogical Practices of History and Social Work Instructors [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu158749521434082

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Kauza, Jacqueline. Disciplinary Writing Expectations and Pedagogical Practices of History and Social Work Instructors . 2020. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu158749521434082.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Kauza, Jacqueline. "Disciplinary Writing Expectations and Pedagogical Practices of History and Social Work Instructors ." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2020. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu158749521434082

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu158749521434082
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This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.