Building a Writer-Centered Pedagogical Approach to Creative Writing

240 Pages·2016·1.93 MB·English

by  Tamara A. Girardi

Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Knowledge Repository @ IUP
Theses and Dissertations (All)
7-24-2014
It Can Be Acquired and Learned: Building a Writer-
Centered Pedagogical Approach to Creative
Writing
Tamara A. Girardi
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
Follow this and additional works at:http://knowledge.library.iup.edu/etd
Recommended Citation
Girardi, Tamara A., "It Can Be Acquired and Learned: Building a Writer-Centered Pedagogical Approach to Creative Writing" (2014).
Theses and Dissertations (All). 882.
http://knowledge.library.iup.edu/etd/882
This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by Knowledge Repository @ IUP. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses and
Dissertations (All) by an authorized administrator of Knowledge Repository @ IUP. For more information, please [email protected],
[email protected].
IT CAN BE ACQUIRED AND LEARNED:
BUILDING A WRITER-CENTERED PEDAGOGICAL
APPROACH TO CREATIVE WRITING

A Dissertation
Submitted to the School of Graduate Studies and Research
in Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
Doctor of Philosophy

Tamara A. Girardi
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
May 2014

i
Indiana University of Pennsylvania
School of Graduate Studies and Research
Department of English

We hereby approve the dissertation of
Tamara A. Girardi
Candidate for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy

___________________________ ___________________________________
Patrick Bizzaro, Ph.D.
Professor of English, Advisor
Indiana University of Pennsylvania

___________________________ ___________________________________
Resa Crane Bizzaro, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of English
Indiana University of Pennsylvania

___________________________ ___________________________________
Bryna Siegel Finer, PhD
Assistant Professor of English
Indiana University of Pennsylvania

___________________________ ___________________________________
Dianne Donnelly, Ph.D.
Continuing Instructor and Associate
Composition Director
University of South Florida

ACCEPTED

___________________________ ___________________________________
Timothy P. Mack, Ph.D.
Dean
The School of Graduate Studies and Research

ii
Title: It Can Be Acquired and Learned: Building a Writer-Centered Pedagogical Approach to
Creative Writing

Author: Tamara A. Girardi
Dissertation Chair: Dr. Patrick Bizzaro
Dissertation Committee Members: Dr. Resa Crane Bizzaro
Dr. Bryna Siegel Finer
Dr. Dianne Donnelly

Because creative writing studies is a developing discipline and research shows that many
creative writing faculty are underrepresented in scholarship, this dissertation study aims to
explore current pedagogical approaches in American undergraduate creative writing classrooms.
To achieve this goal, the researcher collected nearly 70 course syllabi, along with survey data to
situate the syllabi, and conducted discourse analyses on the data utilizing NVivo software. As
part of the analysis, the software searched for a predetermined list of codes (terms identified as
appropriate  in  the  dissertation’s  pilot study). Additionally, the software identified trends in the
data (terms and activities that were commonly used by creative writing faculty).
The hypotheses and analysis were based on a dual theoretical framework of (1)
acquisition and learning-based pedagogical approaches, and (2) writer-centered teaching.
According to the hypothesis, pedagogical approaches that implement both acquisition (practice-
based knowledge construction) and learning (theoretical analysis of the process of knowledge
construction) should be the preferred approaches among creative writing faculty. Additionally,
creative writing pedagogy  should  focus  on  students’  unique  goals  and  interests  with both reading
and writing. Based on the data collected and the initial hypothesis, the researcher called for
changes in approaches to creative writing studies research and presented several ideal teaching
practices and theoretical foundations for these practices.
iii
Dedication

For my husband, Domenick
and my children, Frank and Clara.
Of all the inspirations in my life, you are, by far, my greatest.

iv
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
A project such as this one takes years to complete, so there are bound to be many people
worthy of thanks along the way. First of all, I want to thank my professors and classmates both at
Jacksonville University and the University of St. Andrews for encouraging me to pursue doctoral
study. The Composition and TESOL faculty at Indiana University of Pennsylvania have
influenced the course of my research in this dissertation, and for  that  I’m  grateful.  Likewise,  I  
offer my gratitude to the many scholars who have furthered creative writing as an academic
discipline; many of them are cited here.
As is often the case in classrooms and academic programs, I developed a close bond with
many of my colleagues at IUP. Therefore, I would like to thank my dissertation discussion group
and cheerleading squad Ann Amicucci, Fahad Ben Duhaish, Brian Fotinakes, Melanie Glennon,
and Lindsay Sabatino, and the brilliant summer 2010 cohort. Two dear friends in the program
have been great motivators for me; they are Shelah Simpson and Abigail Grant Scheg. Special
thanks to Abby for reading this dissertation – twice! Your support and feedback have been the
ultimate inspiration. GSD!
The days of paper and pencil surveys are far, far gone, and I am no computer whiz, I
assure  you.  My  thanks  to  Christoph  Maier  at  Indiana  University  of  Pennsylvania’s  Applied  
Research Lab for assistance with survey procedure, Qualtrics and sending mass requests via
email. Also, this dissertation study would have been nearly impossible without the programming
and technical efforts of Dan Domski from Advanced Communications. Thanks, Dan.
My committee has been fabulous. The wisdom and guidance you have shared with me is
so welcomed, and it has been an honor to work with you. Creative writing studies is a passion for
me, as is evident in the pages to follow, and I am grateful to you for taking time away from your
v
writing, your students, your research, and your families to read, consider, and evaluate my ideas.
Let’s  hope  they  play  some  small  role  in  further  developing  the  discipline  and  pedagogy  of  
creative  writing  studies.  I’d  like  to  offer  a  special  thanks  to  my  advisor,  Pat  Bizzaro.  Your  
knowledge and guidance have been an incredible asset to me throughout my research and
writing, but more than that, you have been a good friend. Thank you for having confidence in
me. You have been the absolute best mentor.
God has blessed me with the incredible support of family. Thank you to my mother-in-
law, Barbara, my sister, Roxanne, and my niece, Alexis, for encouraging me, listening to my
dissertation ramblings, and watching my precious children, so that I can work on this project.
Likewise,  I  thank  my  “extended”  family,  the  Merry  Monteleones and the best babysitter,
Delaney Williams Ryan, for the same. Thank you to my late parents, Gregory and ChrisAnne,
and my late adopted parents/grandparents, Clarence and Anne, for always telling me I could do
anything I wanted. I remembered that. Thank you.
There  are  three  people  who  are  so  special  in  my  life,  and  they’re  the  final  note  here.  
Domenick, you have supported me and loved me since we were kids. It has been an honor
growing and learning with you. To my darling children, Frank and Clara, thanks for being so
good for Mama, so she can type, type, type. Who would have thought writing a dissertation and
birthing two children in two years would be such a challenge? The three of you, without a doubt,
have my heart.

vi
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter Page
One INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................1

Motivating Concern #1: Student-Writer Identity Development ..............................1
Motivating Concern #2: What do Student-Writers Want/Need? .............................8
Motivating Concern #3: What and How Student-Writers Read ............................12
Motivating Concern #4: What Student-Writers Learn From Each Other ..............16
Addressing Motivating Concerns ..........................................................................18
Relevant Terminology Defined..............................................................................19
Creative Writing.........................................................................................20
Creative Writing Studies ............................................................................22
Theoretical Influences ............................................................................................23
Theoretical Influence One: Acquisition and Learning...............................23
Theoretical Influence Two: Learner-Centered Education, A Writer-
Centered Classroom ...................................................................................26
Conclusion .............................................................................................................29

Two LITERATURE REVIEW: HISTORY OF THE ZOO ..........................................31

Progressive Education ............................................................................................34
Creative Writing Debate One: The Star System ....................................................36
Creative Writing Debate Two: The Writing Workshop ........................................39
Creative Writing Debate Three: Can It Be Taught? ..............................................43
Growth of Creative Writing Programs ...................................................................45
Trio that Started the Discussion .............................................................................46
State of the Fragmented Union: A Plethora of Pedagogies ...................................49
Creative Writing Studies: The Path to an Academic Discipline ............................54
What is Creative Writing Research? ......................................................................55
Creative Writing Studies History and This Dissertation........................................58
Conclusion .............................................................................................................60

Three METHODOLOGY: APPROACHES TOWARD A WRITER-CENTERED
PEDAGOGY .............................................................................................62

Introduction ............................................................................................................62
Research Design.....................................................................................................63
Focus of the Empirical Study .................................................................................65
The Method: Discourse Analysis ...............................................................66
The Discourse ............................................................................................68
Focus of the Analysis .................................................................................70
Pilot study ......................................................................................70
Writer-centeredness .......................................................................73
Acquisition techniques ...................................................................76
Learning techniques .......................................................................77
vii
Discourse Analysis of Course Syllabi: Study Design ............................................78
Limitations of the Study.........................................................................................86
Conclusion .............................................................................................................87

Four RESULTS .............................................................................................................89

Survey Data Breakdown ........................................................................................90
Survey Data Highlight One: Creative Writing Teaching Philosophies .....95
Survey Data Highlight Two: Ideal Creative Writing Classroom ...............97
Syllabi Data Results ...............................................................................................99
Writer-Centeredness Codes .......................................................................99
Anti-Writer-Centeredness Codes .............................................................100
Acquisition Codes ....................................................................................101
Learning Codes ........................................................................................103
Coded Sections in Syllabi Corpus............................................................104
Conclusion ...........................................................................................................106

Five DISCUSSION PART ONE: RESEARCH STUDY EXECUTION AND SURVEY
DATA ANALYSIS .................................................................................108

Introduction to Discussion Chapters ....................................................................108
Research Study Execution ...................................................................................108
Limitations of the Database .....................................................................109
Testing and Technological Frustrations ...................................................110
Participation Rates ...................................................................................112
Survey Data Analysis ...........................................................................................115
Creative Writing Teaching Philosophies .................................................116
Ideal Creative Writing Classroom ...........................................................118
Conclusion ...........................................................................................................121

Six DISCUSSION PART TWO: WRITER-CENTEREDNESS AND ANTI-
WRITER-CENTEREDNESS IN THE SYLLABI CORPUS .................122

Writer-Centeredness and Anti-Writer-Centeredness ...........................................122
Writer-Centered Codes ............................................................................123
Choice ..........................................................................................123
Community ..................................................................................125
Encourage ....................................................................................128
Support .........................................................................................130
Final thought on writer-centered codes........................................131
Anti-Writer-Centered Codes ....................................................................132
Must .............................................................................................132
Need .............................................................................................136
Required .......................................................................................137
Conclusion ...........................................................................................................139

viii
Seven DISCUSSION PART THREE: ACQUISITION AND LEARNING IN THE
SYLLABI CORPUS ...............................................................................141

Acquisition and Learning Techniques .................................................................141
Acquisition Codes ....................................................................................142
Daily .............................................................................................142
Practice .........................................................................................145
Read(ing)......................................................................................146
Write/Writing ...............................................................................147
Learning Codes ........................................................................................148
Analyze ........................................................................................148
Discuss .........................................................................................149
Read .............................................................................................152
Reflect ..........................................................................................155
Conclusion ...........................................................................................................158

Eight DISCUSSION PART FOUR: HIGHLIGHTING SECTIONS OF THE SYLLABI
CORPUS .................................................................................................159

Highlighted Syllabi Section One: Required and Recommended Texts ...............159
Highlighted Syllabi Section Two: Common Assignments ..................................160
Journals ....................................................................................................160
Personal Reflections.................................................................................161
Portfolios ..................................................................................................162
Presentations ............................................................................................162
Reading Responses ..................................................................................164
Revision ...................................................................................................164
Submitting for Publication .......................................................................165
Workshop Critiques .................................................................................165
Writing Exercises .....................................................................................166
Highlighted Syllabi Section Three: Unique Assignments ...................................167
Anonymous Participant’s  Teaching  Project .............................................168
Dunning’s  Story  Starts .............................................................................168
Fleming’s  Class  Novel .............................................................................169
Langenberg’s  “Carry it Forward  Bag”  Project ........................................171
Monson’s  Commonplace  Book................................................................172
Ponce’s  Workshop  Reflections ................................................................172
Highlighted Syllabi Section Four: Rules of Writing and Writerly Advice ..........174
Conclusion ...........................................................................................................177

Nine RECOMMENDATIONS ....................................................................................179

Research Question 1: What does a collection of creative writing syllabi illustrate
as the current pedagogy in American creative writing classrooms? ........179
Research Question 2: What alternatives to traditional creative writing
"lore"-based pedagogy are currently in use? ...........................................182
ix