Explicit Instruction of Writing Narrative Essays: A Multiple Case Study of Chinese Students' Perceptions and Performance

This dissertation focused on Chinese students enrolled in U.S. first-year English composition classes who faced Western sociocultural and pedagogical aspects inherent in the narrative genre that are not found in the Eastern conceptual framework or worldview. The pervasive theme of individualism in the narrative genre is in direct contrast with collectivism inherent in Eastern cultures. In addition, U.S. pedagogy has followed teaching writing as a process, rather than the product approach commonly practiced in Chinese pedagogy. These sociocultural and pedagogical differences have not only increased anxiety impeding Chinese ESL students' progress in their required first-year composition classes but have also impacted their ability to enter academic discourse at the university even at the graduate level. This study focused on the Chinese ESL students participating in the 1-2-1 and 2+2 Sino-American Dual Degree Programs who are required to take first-year composition classes. This multiple case study using mixed methods explored how Chinese ESL students perceived narrative essay assignments in their first-year composition class and how explicit instruction impacted their writing personal narratives and literary essays about the narrative genre. Explicit instruction was content-based, including authentic texts, supplementary materials, and instructor and peer scaffolding to provide the conceptual framework to decrease affective and sociolinguistic factors affecting Chinese ESL students. The qualitative data triangulated from classroom observations, semi-structured interviews, and students' portfolios revealed how Chinese ESL students viewed explicit instruction of the narrative genre while quantitative data compiled from expert inter-raters' rankings of content, organization and style measured the impact of explicit instruction with score gains with p values <.05 and <. 01. Thus, content-based instruction with the instructor's explicit instruction with verbal and written scaffolding throughout the reading and writing process provided students' conceptual framework necessary to write linear essays in and about the narrative genre, developing and maintaining their academic voice. Recommendations include instructors' practical application of tested protocol within first-year composition classes and then researchers' future studies in similar contexts. Also, future studies are needed to explore present ESL programs and how U.S. instructors may bridge the sociocultural and pedagogical gaps between the East and West.