Graduate writing can manifest as a barrier to successful and timely degree completion as writing is the primary modality in which graduate programs use to evaluate depth of learning and quality of knowledge created. Native language status, inexperience with advanced academic genres, time away from the academy, and socialization struggles are…

The purpose of this dissertation was to produce two manuscripts and a conference paper reporting on analyses of data from a survey that investigated the knowledge, beliefs, and self-perceptions of 236 teachers of students who are blind or visually impaired (TSBVIs) with regard to literacy instruction. The first manuscript investigated the…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between personality traits and effective written expression. The study participants (N = 76) were developing third and fourth-grade students. They produced three short narrative writing samples and responded to questions on a personality inventory. Written expression was measured using…

For this qualitative study, I employed performance gap analysis and root cause analysis on a university via semi-structured interviews that included member checking follow-ups with 10 university stakeholders and three focus groups to: (1) identify the performance gap; (2) hone in on the performance gap and identify the root causes; and (3)…

This qualitative case study examined the implementation of a four-week instructional unit on the Civil Rights Movement taught through a human rights lens and emphasizing written discourse in the classroom. The study was conducted in a large, urban high school in the Midwest near the end of the 2022 spring semester. The instructional unit, a…

This dissertation investigated how expansive framing can foster an inclusive and empowering learning environment for minoritized students in first-year seminars that focus on composition. This paper is especially important for those who teach and support minoritized students who often face crises of faith about belonging at primarily white…

Writing in an L2 presents particular challenges (e.g., acculturating into new conventions) but also opportunities (e.g., the Joseph Conrad phenomenon, Scovel, 1988). In general, writing plays diverse roles in social, professional, and academic contexts and can significantly influence a writer's life experiences. Neither L1 nor L2 writers…

Researchers of graduate student success have recently begun engaging in studies aimed at establishing a better understanding of what practices best assist in graduate student retention and degree completion. Simultaneously, Writing Center scholars have been making a concerted effort to undertake empirical research focused on the everyday work of…

Writing center consultations are built of writer and consultant relationships, interactions, and differences. Listening is a stance that facilitates navigation of these differences that are so inherent to writing centers. Yet listening has long been undervalued in Western society and in rhetoric and composition and writing center scholarship. To…

Writing centers and writing programs, as well as the role of their administrators, are shaped by historical and disciplinary factors that have been closely examined by scholars over the last half century. However, the role of institutionality in writing center and writing program administration (WPA) studies has been ignored in much of the…

This qualitative, multi-site case study examines two cases focusing on the dialogic relations of secondary English students and their teachers, as they interact with print and non-print pop culture texts related to sports and/or music as part of a curriculum unit on a politically sensitive topic. The purpose of this inquiry is to examine…

In language acquisition, writing is the most challenging skill that English learners must master. Students often struggle at the beginning of their writing process with idea generation. Due to students' low academic achievement and their struggles, online mind mapping is suggested as a useful tool to support language students' brainstorms and idea…

Only limited research has been completed that examines the impact of teaching outlining on improving ADHD students' writing skills and perceptions about writing. An abundance of research demonstrates high school students with ADHD struggle with writing and organization skills. This study investigated the impact of using the POW + TREE outlining…

Research on disciplinary variation in graduate student writing (GSW) has typically focused on theses and dissertations. Less attention has been paid to coursework assignments (e.g., essays, recounts, exercises, etc.), which are the pre-cursors to final capstone projects. Coursework papers are prioritized by both students and professors because…

One goal of college education is to ensure that graduates can meet the writing demands of the workplace and further education. The purpose of this study was to determine if UNH Manchester is preparing students to write effectively in their careers and in graduate education. Data were collected from respondents who rated themselves on 20 statements…