Experiences of faculty of paired developmental integrated reading and writing and college composition courses at a south Texas community college

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2017-05

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Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore English faculty experiences and perceptions of the practice of pairing developmental Integrated Reading and Writing (INRW) and college-level English (ENGL 1301) courses. The study specifically explored faculty perceptions of the effectiveness, benefits and challenges, and institutional support of pairing of developmental and college-level courses. A qualitative descriptive case study design was used to explore the practice of the paired course model in the real-life context in which it occurs.
The study found that faculty perceived benefits in the model (e.g., time and student impacts) and challenges (e.g., language issues and behavioral issues). Findings further revealed that faculty perceived paired courses can present challenges for faculty, particularly when it is taught in a team teach structure. Participants also perceived that student support, including tutoring and other academic support systems, to be very strong at the study institution. Implications of the study are that institutions of higher education must rethink the concept of remediation delivery, focusing on acceleration through strategies such as paired courses. Other implications include that colleges must work more closely with K-12 school systems to prepare students for college readiness and use acceleration as a tool to increase retention and graduation of students starting in developmental education.

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Keywords

Developmental education, Paired courses, Integrated reading and writing, Acceleration

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