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Abstract

Professor Introduction: The Profile Essay

Research in progress for English 1301: Composition 1

Faculty Mentor: Lisa Roy-Davis, Ph.D.

The following paper represents research work begun by students in English 1301, the first course in the two-semester composition sequence at Collin College. Students in English 1301 are introduced to the concept of academic research by learning to ask research-focused questions and then use the library resources to find sources that provide answers.

In the following profile essay, Allison Bickerstaff merges her research-based understanding of the elementary education field with her subject’s experiences of teaching at a local elementary school. By focusing on the experiences of an actual teacher, Allison is able to use the anecdotal evidence of her interview process to test and productively question ideas, facts, and observations about a career in elementary education that she gained through research. By focusing on inquiry in the writing process, she is able to observe and confirm many of her findings, while also using her research to raise further productive questions. This focused approach to research shapes her continued interest in the field and helps to provide direction to her own future academic work.

The researched profile essay represents an alternative approach to the traditional research paper often required in composition classes. By locating an interest in a career field and narrowing their research to intersect with and amplify the experiences of a specific worker, students learn valuable research writing skills and gain working knowledge of the careers they aspire to.

Faculty Mentor

Lisa Roy-Davis

LRDavis@collin.edu

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