Writing Practices at the Graduate Level: An Education Master's Degree Case

Abstract

This ethnographical study was aimed to describe the writing practices within a Master in Education -research emphasis. We found several written discourse genres, mainly aimed to evaluate learning, and also differences between the writings proposed in the planning of the courses and those actually requested in class. Although professors try to support their students’ writing, the latter usually do not consider it productive because of the perceived gap between what they are asked for in the seminars and their need to finish their monograph. It seems necessary to better connect the teaching practices on writing held by professors and the expectations from students in this particular program.