Is Professional Writing Taught as a Service Course or as a Liberal Arts Course? Report on a National Survey

• Main Authors: Jacobi, Martin J, Lovitt, Carl R
• Format: Paper
• Language: English
• Published: 01.04.1990
• Subjects: Business English; Higher Education; Liberal Arts; National Surveys; Professional Writing; Teacher Attitudes; Teaching Methods; Technical Writing; Writing Instruction; Writing Research; Writing Teachers

A survey investigated whether changes in the curricular status of professional writing have produced concomitant changes in pedagogy. The study examined whether there are more professional writing teachers teaching as they traditionally have or whether teachers are now rethinking their approaches to the subject. A survey instrument was completed by 590 postsecondary technical writing teachers (a return rate of 23.6%) from around the United States. Results showed that approximately 223 respondents viewed professional writing as a service course; 220 as a liberal arts course; and 111 as both a service and a liberal arts course (36 respondents either gave no answer or indicated that they rejected both statements). A substantial majority of those who consider professional writing a service course incorporated the three emphases defined in the survey as characteristic of the liberal arts: ethics, argumentation, and outside readings. However, although these topics are part of most courses, they do not appear to be taught in an interrelated fashion, and suggest limitations on the extent to which some teachers approach professional writing as a liberal art. The survey also investigated the approaches used in the teaching of ethics and argumentation/persuasion, and used with outside readings. Further, a majority of respondents did not identify as a significant part of their courses most of the teaching techniques that are generally recognized as either process-oriented or active-learning strategies. (Eight tables of data are attached.) (SR)