Abstract

Writing center tutors enact their conceptions of writing in every tutoring session, and yet their conceptions of writing have not yet been systematically researched. This thesis researches the conceptions of writing of writing center tutors at the University of Central Florida's University Writing Center. To uncover tutors' conceptions of writing, I interviewed three tutors by asking them open-ended questions about their experiences with writing and tutoring. After coding and analyzing the transcripts of these interviews, I found seven shared conceptions of writing. These conceptions are the basis of my argument. Because these conceptions are shared but not taught, I turn to legitimate peripheral participation (Lave & Wenger, 1991) as a possible explanation for how tutors have arrived at similar conceptions of writing. This thesis also responds to Adler-Kassner and Wardle's (2019) call for the integration of threshold concepts into writing studies research by comparing tutors' conceptions of writing to the threshold concepts revealed in their edited collection, Naming What We Know (2015). Ultimately, this thesis is exploratory. It begins to uncover tutors' conceptions of writing, and could be of particular value to writing center administrators who wish to better understand what their tutors think about writing by conducting their own, similar research.

Notes

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Graduation Date

2020

Semester

Spring

Advisor

Hall, R. Mark

Degree

Master of Arts (M.A.)

College

College of Arts and Humanities

Department

Writing and Rhetoric

Degree Program

English; Rhetoric and Composition

Format

application/pdf

Identifier

CFE0008022; DP0023162

URL

https://purls.library.ucf.edu/go/DP0023162

Language

English

Release Date

5-15-2020

Length of Campus-only Access

None

Access Status

Masters Thesis (Open Access)

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