Forming and reforming the writing curriculum of a class of nine nontraditional adult college-level composition students at an urban open-access community college: A study of change in teacher attitude and student learning behaviors as students become socialized into the expectations of academia

This study investigates changes in teacher attitude and student learning behaviors during the Spring 1989 semester at an urban open-access community college. Nine nontraditional students participated in this freshman college-level writing course. Five types of qualitative data were used to determine the above changes and the extent to which they were brought about by five research-based instructional practices. Data source consisted of questionnaires, field notes, conferences, interviews and writing samples. Case study analysis was done to provide insight into obstacles each student confronted. The instructional practices used were: (1) reading and responding to literature; (2) between-draft feedback through teacher-student conferencing; (3) teacher-modeling of brainstorming, drafting, revising and metacognitive monitoring; (4) small-group peer review of students\u27 drafts in progress; and, (5) direct instruction in resolving problems in diction and the mechanics of standard American English based on actual student texts. Students and teacher collaborated in making various changes in assignments, activities and grading policy. This appeared to reduce the lines of teacher-student authority relations and engendered a workshop atmosphere wherein all parties acted as co-learners and co-participants. Instruction influenced the students to view writing as an organic, cyclical process in which one discovers and clarifies meaning through multiple drafts. Five students demonstrated little change in attitude toward writing. They appeared to leave the course viewing writing as a difficult and unappealing task. Four students made positive attitudinal changes toward writing and seemed committed to revising any writing to be shared with others. They saw practical applications of writing in their line of work and intended to take another English course and do more independent composing. One student indicated plans to update his self-initiated spelling book and maintain a journal. A committed diarist influenced others to consider the therapeutic value of diary-writing. For the entire class, finishing the course represented a significant educational attainment. Each student equated the acquisition of higher education with the pursuit of upward socioeconomic mobility