Competence and Critique in Technical Communication

Abstract

This study uses qualitative content analysis to discuss current perspectives in technical communication pedagogy. It examines the 1990-94 issues of five major scholarly journals—a collection of 563 articles—to identify 98 articles mentioning teaching in undergraduate technical communication courses. Influenced by differing theoretical and practical approaches, the 98 articles were classified according to four pedagogical perspectives: (1) the functional perspective, based on empirical research and workplace experience; (2) the rhetorical perspective, based on scholarship in the humanities and influenced by rhetorical theory; (3) the ideological perspective, also based on scholarship in the humanities but influenced by critical theory; and (4) the intercultural and feminist perspective, a bridging perspective based on both empirical research and critical theory. This article discusses the four perspectives in terms of the educational goals of communicative competence (the ability to use language to succeed in the workplace) and social critique (the ability to question existing social structures and to envision cultural change).

Journal
Journal of Business and Technical Communication
Published
1996-01-01
DOI
10.1177/1050651996010001003
Open Access
Closed
Topics

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (1)

  1. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication

Cites in this index (41)

  1. Technical Communication Quarterly
  2. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  3. Technical Communication Quarterly
  4. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  5. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
Show all 41 →
  1. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  2. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  3. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  4. Technical Communication Quarterly
  5. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  6. Technical Communication Quarterly
  7. Technical Communication Quarterly
  8. Technical Communication Quarterly
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  10. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  11. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  12. Technical Communication Quarterly
  13. Technical Communication Quarterly
  14. Technical Communication Quarterly
  15. Technical Communication Quarterly
  16. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  17. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  18. Technical Communication Quarterly
  19. Technical Communication Quarterly
  20. Technical Communication Quarterly
  21. Technical Communication Quarterly
  22. Technical Communication Quarterly
  23. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  24. Technical Communication Quarterly
  25. Technical Communication Quarterly
  26. Technical Communication Quarterly
  27. Technical Communication Quarterly
  28. Technical Communication Quarterly
  29. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  30. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  31. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  32. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  33. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  34. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  35. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  36. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
Also cites 5 works outside this index ↓
  1. 10.1007/BF00988269
  2. 10.1177/074171369404400402
  3. 10.2307/358988
  4. 10.3102/00346543060003345
  5. 10.2307/375964
CrossRef global citation count: 5 View in citation network →