<p>This qualitative, narratively orientated study explores the perceptions of undergraduate students? interpretations of their experiences as they voluntarily attempt to start and maintain writing center-facilitated writing groups. During the spring 2014 semester, undergraduate writing tutors at a small, private, women?s, liberal arts university attempted to start four writing groups through the institution?s writing center. Only two of the four proposed writing groups formed, and of those two, only one writing group maintained consistent membership and met regularly throughout the semester. Data for this study were collected from February 2014 to May 2014 and consists of 11 interviews, with four individuals, three of whom were the undergraduate writing tutors who founded the writing groups.
Noting the impossibility of generalizing a small, contextualized study like this, the author suggests it may be useful to writing directors to consider writing groups as a viable writing center program for undergraduate students, particularly if viewed as a vehicle for tutor training and leadership development. Other issues for writing center directors, writing center administrators, and teachers of writing at the college level who are interested in how writing groups function to support writers are discussed as well.
Moreover, this dissertation examines the author?s own experiences wrestling with a research study that became vastly different from what she intended because of participation constraints. The author?s attempts at self-reflexivity regarding her subjectivities, epistemological contradictions, and other issues raised by her interpretation of her research experience are included as data and discussed in the final chapter of this dissertation.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:PROQUEST/oai:pqdtoai.proquest.com:3704526 |
| Date | 11 June 2015 |
| Creators | Scoppetta, Jessyka Anne |
| Publisher | Teachers College, Columbia University |
| Source Sets | ProQuest.com |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | thesis |
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