College Composition and Communication Dec 2025

Writing Transfer beyond FYC

Ryan P. Shepherd

Abstract

This article seeks to present a model of critical factors that influence writing transfer by exploring and extending conversations happening in the field. The article identifies five critical and interconnected factors that support writing transfer: connection, perception, reflection, disposition, and fortification. These factors emerge from an integration of writing transfer scholarship and data from a longitudinal study of student writers. In that study, six participants were followed for seven years (from first-year composition past graduation and into the workforce) and asked to explain their experiences and perceptions of writing. I offer these five factors to spark a broader conversation about how multiple overlapping influences contribute to writing transfer and to encourage further research into how these factors interact and reinforce one another.

Journal
College Composition and Communication
Published
2025-12-01
DOI
10.58680/ccc2025772268
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Open Access
Closed
Topics
first-year composition transfer empirical research
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