An Autoethnographic Study of My Student and Teacher Experiences in First-Year Composition (Fyc) in Ghana: (Re)developing More Inclusive Pedagogies in Fyc in the U.S.

Abstract

In this thesis, I discuss the importance of culturally-responsive pedagogies in writing programs in multicultural classrooms, especially in the United States (U.S.) where student demographics are gradually shifting from the former U.S. dominance to a more heterogeneous learning community. The study examines the ways teachers of first-year composition (FYC) in the U.S. can reimagine composition studies outside the U.S. and practice inclusivity through the design of internationalized inclusive pedagogies for first-year composition classrooms. I share stories of my experiences of first-year composition (also called Communication Skills) from my roles as a student and teaching assistant in KNUST-Ghana. Through this narration and reflection, I emphasize the importance of storytelling as a source of epistemology and an important qualitative research technique. Further, I talk about experiences teaching in ISU’s Writing Program and make connections between those experiences and the stories I shared from KNUST-Ghana. The purpose is to provide diversifying perspectives to curriculum design in writing programs through cross-cultural and institutional dialogue. I propose translingualism, multiliteracies, multiculturalism and internationalization as methods to attain culturally-responsive pedagogies.