Educational Pedagogy Explored: Attachment, Voice, and Students’ Limited Recognition of the Purpose of Writing

Abstract

The following teacher research case-study involved an exploration of educational pedagogy by working with a freshman composition student at a college university. All data collected for the study was gathered during the 2013 spring semester. The study was driven by an inquiry based approach where the researcher determined the center of focus that arose from an exploration of the student as a writer through a survey, a classroom observation, multiple one-on-one meetings, and email conversations. The focus area that arose was the student’s limited recognition that writing was done solely for school purposes. Related puzzlements stemming from this focus area included the student’s lack of attachment and lack of voice in her writing. The conclusive data provided insights for how to educate students in future classrooms regarding how vital it is for students to be able to attach themselves to their work.