Risk as Productive: Working with Dilemmas in the Writing of Research

Risky writing: Working with a heteroglossic pedagogy to deepen pre-service teachers’ learning

“…We return to Thesen's (2014) notion of risk as a productive resource and our central argument that a heteroglossic pedagogy, which foregrounds productive notions of risk, can facilitate creativity, academic depth and rigour. The student role-plays generated a rich array of voices and social issues that we jointly problematised and analysed.…”

“…Paradoxically, in an attempt to support students' apprenticeship into academic writing, academics are sometimes complicit in silencing students' linguistic histories and identities. Thesen (2014) provides a valuable way out of this quagmire by reconceptualising risk in academic writing as a productive resource rather than a problem. She challenges the "cold" version of risk that is dominant in universities, the notion of risk associated with risk management.…”

“…In the undergraduate context, risk management is played out through the focus on plagiarism and managing 'at risk' students, generally a euphemism in South Africa for underprepared black students from poorly functioning schools. Thesen (2014) argues that the written product is central to academic success; at undergraduate level, it takes the form of the academic essay. No matter who the writer is, losses and compromises are experienced in the writing process so that the writer can move safely through each level of gatekeeping.…”

“…She conceptualises risk as follows: (Thesen, 2014: 15). Thesen's (2014) focus is on postgraduate students and research writing. The question is how risk translates into undergraduate teaching and writing.…”

“…We adapt Thesen's (2014) notion of risk, voice and erasure to an undergraduate first year course and explore the relationship between academic depth, rigour and risk.…”