Abstract

This qualitative study investigates the biographical factors that influence the professional identities and teaching practices of second language (L2) writing instructors. Previous L2 writing studies have tended to rely on teacher interviews to examine such identities and practices and have failed to include the important perspective of classroom observations. This study conducted teacher interviews and classroom observations with three graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) of a first-year writing course at a U.S. university. The findings suggest that although teachers’ disciplinary backgrounds, teaching philosophies, and prior experiences shape their professional identities and instructional approaches, their classroom practices in language instruction do not always align with their beliefs and stated values. Teacher education programs should integrate language pedagogy and grammar instruction into writing pedagogy, while encouraging teachers to engage in consistent self-evaluation and reflection on their practices.

Journal
Written Communication
Published
2026-07-17
DOI
10.1177/07410883261461552
CompPile
Open Access
Closed
Topics
Export

Citation context

Cited by in this index (0)

No articles in this index cite this work.

References (45) · 5 in this index

  1. Qualitative data: An introduction to coding and analysis
  2. What is ‘good writing?’ Analyzing metadiscourse as civil discourse
    Journal of Teaching Writing
  3. 10.1080/03057640902902252
     ↗
  4. 10.7330/9781607329343
     ↗
  5. College Composition and Communication
Show all 45 →
  1. Principles of language learning and teaching
  2. College English
  3. 10.1016/j.jslw.2009.12.002
     ↗
  4. Crookes G. V. (2015). Redrawing the boundaries on theory research and practice concerning language teachers’ …
     ↗
  5. 10.1017/CBO9781139107327
     ↗
  6. College Composition and Communication
  7. Language power: Tutorials for writers
  8. Review of research in education
  9. Grouling J. (2015). Resistance and identity formation: The journey of the graduate student-teacher. Compositi…
  10. Hirvela A. (2019). Exploring second language writing teacher education: The role of adaptive expertise. In Se…
     ↗
  11. 10.1017/9781009406512
     ↗
  12. 10.1111/j.1540-4781.2011.01178.x
     ↗
  13. Karimi M. Mofidi M. (2019). L2 teacher identity development: An activity theoretic perspective. System 81 122…
     ↗
  14. Participant observation as a data collection method
    Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung / Forum: Qualitative Social Research
  15. Kessler M. (2021). Investigating connections between teacher identity and pedagogy in a content-based classro…
     ↗
  16. The linguistic memory of composition and the rhetoric and composition PhD: Forgetting (an…
    Composition Studies
  17. 10.1016/j.jslw.2010.05.001
     ↗
  18. 10.1016/j.jslw.2012.07.001
     ↗
  19. Exploring identities of second language writing teachers
  20. 10.1016/0147-1767(85)90062-8
     ↗
  21. College Composition and Communication
  22. Written Communication
  23. 10.1017/CBO9781139524810.004
     ↗
  24. Reflections on language teacher identity research
  25. Myhill D. Cremin T. Oliver L. (2021). Writing as a craft: Re-considering teacher subject content knowledge fo…
     ↗
  26. 10.1177/0033688216631219
     ↗
  27. 10.1017/S0261444813000116
     ↗
  28. Advances and current trends in language teacher identity research
  29. Rankin T. Whong M. (2020). Grammar: A linguists’ guide for language teachers Cambridge University Press. http…
     ↗
  30. The effects of writing pedagogy education on graduate teaching assistants’ approaches to t…
    WPA: Writing Program Administration
  31. 10.4324/9780203012529-3
     ↗
  32. The coding manual for qualitative researchers
  33. Cultivating Critical Language Awareness in the Writing Classroom
  34. 10.1016/1060-3743(95)90002-0
     ↗
  35. 10.1017/CBO9781139524551.005
     ↗
  36. 10.2307/3587400
     ↗
  37. 10.1002/tesq.360
     ↗
  38. 10.1002/(SICI)1098-237X(199806)82:3<293::AID-SCE1>3.0.CO;2-7
     ↗
  39. Webb M. Lee Y. W. (2025). Dialogic entanglements in researcher identity: A duoethnographic exploration of cri…
     ↗
  40. 10.7330/9781607325239.c007
     ↗