The Collegiate EFL Writing Program: Tensions within Classical Praxis

Abstract

Taking a practically social turn recently, a broad and rich writing curriculum can enjoy enormous potential for broadening the language scholarship of the undergraduates. Having this in mind, the current study explored he writing curricular practices in terms of perceptions of learning and pedagogy and writing goals. To see through the perception of the process and product of writing, four-hundred English majors of six universities and sixty college instructors were asked to complete a validated questionnaire (AI-Sharah, 1997). The t-test and Mann-Whitney U statistical tests applied to assorted data revealed significant differences in the distribution of instructors’ and Iranian language students’ perceptions of collegiate writing regarding the nature of writing, attention paid to writing factors by instructors, and acquiring writing competence. Turing to writing goals, several Chi-Square tests suggested an existing tension between critical facets of instructors’ and students’ writing goals, namely objects of goals, actions taken, and responsibility. The findings of this study can potentially afford instructors and writing program developers considerable insights into current curricular practice and required pedagogical steps taken to ease the tensions.