Teaching Discussion Section Writing through a Genre-Based Approach to Undergraduates across Disciplines in China—A Novice EAP Teacher’s Classroom-Based Empirical Study

Abstract

This study illuminates the genre-based pedagogy delivered by a novice EAP teacher for teaching discussion section writing to cross-discipline undergraduates in China. Followed by the demonstration of specifics of genre teaching, the researcher tapped into the effectiveness of genre-based pedagogy through an examination of student-produced writing submissions. Autoethnography and qualitative research methods were used to analyze video-recording, teaching journals and students’ writing assignments and it was revealed that the focal Chinese English teacher who specialized in EGP was able to teach genre knowledge and research writing skills through autonomous learning and teaching preparation. Furthermore, the efficacy of genre teaching could be affirmed since most learner-writers successfully transferred genre knowledge and writing skills taught in the classroom to their writing. From this study, pedagogical implications are drawn to shed light on future teacher education that aims to help Chinese English teachers attain better genre-based research writing instruction.