Students’ Questions in Writing Center Conferences

Written Communication Jul 2022

Students’ Questions in Writing Center Conferences

Jo Mackiewicz Iowa State University ; Isabelle Thompson Auburn University

Abstract

Questions are an important means by which students actively participate in and exercise some control over the moment-to-moment focus of writing center conferences. Through quantitative and qualitative analysis of student questions in 35 writing center conferences, we examined the frequency and type of students’ questions, finding no differences between native English speakers and non-native English speakers’ overall question frequency or their use of each question type. Students used common-ground questions most frequently, and knowledge-deficit questions second-most frequently. Our qualitative analysis revealed how students used questions to coconstruct potential language for their papers and to steer the course of their conferences. It also revealed the dilemma that arises when a student’s questions probe not only the tutor’s writing knowledge but also their subject-matter knowledge. This study demonstrates some ways that students take power over their conferences by asking questions and indicates that tutors might expect similar question frequency and similar types of questions from NESs and NNESs. It also suggests that tutors might use the tutoring strategy of reading aloud to create conversational openings for students’ questions. And it suggests potential benefits of attending to the type of questions that students use, as these types can indicate on a local level the extent of students’ contribution to their papers.

Journal: Written Communication
Published: 2022-07-01
DOI: 10.1177/07410883221093564
Open Access: Closed
Topics: writing centers

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (0)

No articles in this index cite this work.

Cites in this index (2)

Patthey-Chavez et al. (1997)

Writing Conferences and the Weaving of Multi-Voiced Texts in College Composition

Research in the Teaching of English
Sperling (1990)

I Want to Talk to Each of You: Collaboration and the Teacher-Student Writing Co…

Research in the Teaching of English

Also cites 32 works outside this index ↓

10.1080/09500693.2013.876678

↗
10.3102/00346543061002157

↗
10.1080/03057260701828101

↗
10.1111/j.1741-5446.1986.00333.x

↗
Dinitz S. (2014)

10.7771/2832-9414.1769

The Writing Center Journal ↗
10.1016/j.jslw.2009.06.002

↗
10.1037/0022-0663.82.1.163

↗
10.1080/10570314.2017.1416488

↗
10.2307/3587229

↗
10.3102/00028312031001104

↗
10.1093/applin/25.2.178

↗
10.1080/10899995.2019.1675447

↗
10.1075/sidag.16

↗
10.2307/2529310

↗
10.17239/jowr-2016.07.03.03

↗
10.4324/9780429469237

↗
10.1016/j.linged.2018.07.003

↗
10.4324/9781351272643

↗
10.1016/j.system.2019.102128

↗
10.1080/19463014.2017.1307125

↗
10.1108/00400910610651746

↗
10.1016/1041-6080(94)90010-8

↗
10.1037/a0032690

↗
10.1353/lan.1974.0010

↗
10.1088/1742-6596/953/1/012042

↗
Thompson I. (2014)

10.7771/2832-9414.1767

The Writing Center Journal ↗
Thompson I. (2009)

10.7771/2832-9414.1672

The Writing Center Journal ↗
10.1016/S1075-2935(03)00002-3

↗
10.1016/j.jslw.2004.04.012

↗
10.1177/0957926506063127

↗
10.1111/j.1469-7610.1976.tb00381.x

↗
10.3102/0002831207312909

↗

CrossRef global citation count: 2 View in citation network →