ABSTRACT

This study chronicles a research project on writing development that was affected by the current contexts of uncertainty. We were set to follow 24 students from diverse admissions channels for three years, during which we held meetings and collected writing materials. In October 2019, an unprecedented wave of civil unrest led to the closure of the campus and ended face-to-face meetings. In early 2020, just as the university was resuming contact with students, the COVID-19 pandemic again forced the suspension of in-person meetings. This article addresses methodological, ethical, and epistemological dilemmas involved in researching literacy in higher education under challenging circumstances. Moreover, understanding literacy as a social practice provided a theoretical framework useful to recognise emerging results as valuable information on literacy knowledge. The unexpected findings on student writing were shaped by the context of the crisis, in which agency, student engagement, and sponsorship became intrinsically linked to national events.

摘要

本研究记录了一个受当前不确定性影响的写作发展研究项目。我们计划跟踪来自不同招生渠道的24名学生，为期三年，期间我们举行了会议并收集了写作材料。2019 年 10 月，前所未有的内乱浪潮导致校园关闭并结束了面对面的会议。2020 年初，就在大学恢复与学生的联系之际，COVID-19 大流行再次迫使面对面的会议暂停。本文探讨了在具有挑战性的情况下研究高等教育中的读写能力所涉及的方法论、伦理和认识论困境。而且，将扫盲理解为一种社会实践提供了一个理论框架，有助于将新出现的结果视为关于扫盲知识的宝贵信息。学生写作的意外发现受到危机背景的影响，在危机背景下，代理、学生参与和赞助与国家事件有着内在的联系。