Description
This study features a problem the academy faces in required lower-division writing courses, where many students have negative feelings about academic writing. Students’ aversion to academic writing has long been problematic, and pedagogical scholars continue to experiment with ways in which they may remove this stigma and generate a more positive student reception. With this aim in mind, this qualitative inquiry observes the integration of contemplative pedagogical methods into an introductory-level Rhetoric and Writing Studies course at San Diego State University—developed and instructed by the author—with the intent to study how the implementation of these practices may affect the ways in which students experience academic writing. Ultimately, the data collected and analyzed for this project reveals the beneficial influence mindfulness methods have on students’ attitudes toward academic writing. As opposed to their initial negative experiences with academic writing—involving feelings of disconnection, stress, and incapability—students’ experiences when contemplative practices are introduced to their writing process are positive—involving feelings of connection, calmness, and capability. Thus, the stigma students initially have about academic writing is alleviated by their contemplative practices.
