A Case Comparison of Secondary and Postsecondary Writing Instructors' Failure Mind-Sets and Messaging

• In Event: Faculty Mind-Sets and Orientations Toward Students

Abstract

Drawing on emerging work on the influence of “failure mindsets” on theories of intelligence as well as achievement goal orientations, this study presents qualitative case studies of secondary and postsecondary writing instructors’ beliefs and classroom discourse related to failure and success, difficulty and ease, and responding to challenges in writing. Analyzing interviews, classroom observations, and course documents from two 12th-grade English classes and two first-year undergraduate writing classes, I first present vignettes of each educator’s failure-related beliefs articulated through interviews as well as their messaging to students in the classroom. I then discuss cross-case implications of these mindset messages for students’ transition from secondary to postsecondary writing and recommendations for instructional development and alignment within and across sectors.

Author

• Pei Pei Liu, Michigan State University