Composition, the African-American student, the historically black college and university, and educational malpractice

Calista E Kelly, Purdue University

Abstract

The research examines a historically black college in the South where it is believed that indicators of educational malpractice exist. The results of three, multi-method studies that measured students’ and instructors’ attitudes toward African-American language (AAL) and their perceptions of African-American students’ oral and written competencies, revealed that both students and instructors lacked a basic knowledge of AAL although some had heard of one or more of the appellations used to refer to the language system. In the study used to measure students’ perceptions and attitudes, those that agreed that AAL existed and was different from “standard” English also agreed that their instructors should have knowledge of the language system in order to teach African-American students. In the inconclusive study used to measure instructors’ attitudes and perceptions, instructors seemed to emphasize only the use of “standard” English in written forms of communication in their composition classroom and made it clear that non-“standard” Englishes should not be used in academic writing; on the other hand, there was some ambivalence in the few responses given by instructors about the nature of AAL and whether or not it should be acknowledged as a legitimate language system within the classroom. Additionally, course materials such as student writing samples and instructors’ evaluations of these samples suggested that AAL is not acknowledged in the composition classroom or in student compositions and that “standard” English takes precedence in the assessment of African-American students’ writing/language use.

Degree

M.A.

Advisors

Roberts, Purdue University.

Subject Area

Language arts|Black studies|Curriculum development|Higher education|African American Studies

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