The Degree of Directiveness in Written Advising: A Preliminary Investigation

Abstract

In this paper, the researchers analyse written discursive devices that learning advisors (LAs) at their institution use in order to give input to learners on their self-directed work. The researchers analysed written advising approaches by seven LAs throughout an eight-week period and coded the discursive devices according to their degree of directiveness. The results of the research indicate that LAs draw on a range of discursive devices and use varying degrees of directiveness when addressing the needs and learning stage of the students. The results have implications for LA training at the authors’ institution.

Advising Dialogue from a Feminist Perspective: Gendered Talk or Emotional Labor?

“…Among the features of perceived-as-feminine talk presented earlier, the researchers selected three components that also relate to the Rogerian tradition of psychological counselling on which ALL practice is most frequently based (Mynard & Thornton, 2012):…”

“Still Sounds Quite a Lot to Me, But Try it And See”. Reflecting on my Non-Directive Advising Stance

“…There may be times where I could take a more directive stance in order to save the learner time. However, as we saw in a previous study (Mynard & Thornton, 2012), navigating a continuum depending on the needs and awareness levels of the learners is important. In Emi's case, taking mainly an encouraging yet non-directive stance early gave her room for self-discovery.…”

“…Emi had spent one year abroad working in Australia and felt disappointed that (Mynard & Thornton, 2012). As Emi was a paid research participant, I took it for granted that Emi would complete the five-week project so this meant I did not push her or focus on the practicalities of the implementation portion of the plan as much as I might have (see Thornton (2010) for details of a self-directed learning model which includes a focus on 'implementation').…”

“…As I would be working with Emi for five weeks, I took this stance in order to allow her room for experimentation and time to discover for herself which methods were most effective for her goals. The discursive features common to a non-directive stance include making mild suggestions, giving positive feedback, and asking questions that prompt further reflection (Mynard & Thornton, 2012).…”

Analyzing Advising Sessions for Rapport-Building Discursive Elements

“…Likewise, before offering encouragement in excerpt 1, the learning advisor first asks specific questions about the advisee's plans, then gives encouragement once s/he hears how the plan is organized. Mynard and Thornton (2012) have also found that learning advisors may prefer to use more directive discursive strategies during advising sessions at times, and the purpose of such a preference is mostly to reflect and/or show learners their needs and awareness openly. As in excerpt 3, it seems that the advisor simply restates the advisee's sentence about studying for grammar rules.…”