Graduation Year

2022

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree

Ph.D.

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Degree Granting Department

English

Major Professor

Lisa Melonçon, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Jennifer Bleck, Ph.D.

Committee Member

S. Morgan Gresham, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Holly Donahue Singh, Ph.D.

Keywords

Honors Writing, SDT, Self-Determination Theory

Abstract

This pragmatic study identifies the writing supports embedded in documentation and coursework for students working on honors theses in the USF Judy Genshaft Honors College, thereby addressing the most challenging and stressful regular honors experience. This mixed-methods study draws on writing process and post-process theories and Self-Determination Theory (SDT), as well as the task analysis component of Self-Regulated Learning (SRL), to answer these four research questions:

  • What honors thesis program components and practices are writing supports-- resources and/or actions that appear to support student writing--at the programmatic, curricular, assignment, and pedagogical levels?
  • Do the writing supports align with or diverge from the contemporary literature on writing supports?
  • Do the writing supports align with or diverge from the thesis writing process and motivation theoretical foundation?• What future additional supports of motivation and productivity/task completion are predicted to enhance or strengthen the program based on theory, experience, and applied studies?

A radical explanatory theory of human motivation, Self-Determination Theory (SDT), when combined with writing process and post-process theory, articulates elemental needs that must be met to achieve a naturally motivated state as a writer. To answer my research questions, I designed a study to review and analyze documents on the USF Judy Genshaft Honors College webpage devoted to the honors thesis looking for evidence of SDT within writing process supports. In addition, I reviewed the Canvas courses for Thesis I and Thesis II. These courses include syllabi, quizzes, announcements from faculty, and other documents associated with the thesis-production process. Besides textual analysis, I created an online survey comprised of twenty-one questions that I circulated to full-time honors college faculty. I interviewed nine of faculty who held full-time positions within the Honors College, and three more who worked on honors theses in the Honors College or at the department level. Among the nine faculty from the Honors College, I interviewed and consulted with the Thesis Director extensively. I developed inquiry themes and applied them to program documents and faculty and director interviews. Additionally, quantitative data was gathered regarding frequency of faculty chair and staff meetings, faculty assessment of student work, and faculty years of experience as a thesis chair. Upon completion of the assessment, I determined that in this honors college site, limited autonomy as students need self-direction for energy but would not benefit from complete autonomic freedom given the high need for faculty chair mentoring, instruction, and guidance. Competence is supported by the thesis chairs as they help design a “doable” project and provide instruction and developmental feedback to students as they progress. Task analysis through writing goals and strategic planning, from Self-Regulated Learning, adds detail to ways to support competence. The thesis course is less structured than the alterative to thesis. Relatedness is supported by the faculty chair in part through meetings. Most thesis students do not have interactions with one another as part of their thesis course and mentoring experience. Discussion puts this study in conversation with writing studies resulting in a richer baseline understanding of motivation and connections between SDT and writing studies theories regarding writer motivation. It articulates that autonomy is limited by competence supports and relationships, and that autonomy and self-efficacy both address student responsibility which can help writing studies consider habits of mind in new ways. Competence supports provided by the instructor and course assignments include the use of deadlines and can be enhanced through considering Self-Regulated Learning which includes a more thorough consideration of metacognition and self-efficacy. Finally, this study finds that relationships that support learning currently rely heavily on the chair, and that post-process theory could be considered in connection with SDT and the Zone of Personal Development. The recommendations provide pragmatic solutions at the administrative, programmatic, and curricular levels to support student writing skill development across the honors curriculum, draw on writing goal setting and use of writing strategies in assignments and practices of the class, and create greater frequency of connection between and among students. Further recommendations include assessing student needs prior to the start of thesis, creating additional interventions for those who may need them, and creating a friendly off-ramp for those students who may need a more structured approach to meeting final honors coursework requirements.

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