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What Is the Role of the Research Paper in AP English Courses?
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by Jewel Kamita
Capistrano Valley High School
Mission Viejo, California
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| | The Challenges and Rewards of Research Papers
Although tradition dictates that all high school juniors must write a research paper in English, I have resisted assigning one in my AP classes. Because I am committed to teaching students to write well -- with grace and clarity -- I believed I had legitimate reasons to avoid a lengthy research paper. First, students must do research to complete every expository composition I assign. Is an extensive research paper really necessary? Second, when would I find the time to read and comment on the drafts students would produce? How many writing conferences could I hold? What might I do to prevent plagiarism?
Despite these past reservations, this year I yielded. An extended research paper made perfect sense in early February when we began reading Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man. Because I had carefully planned the sequence of steps of extended research over three months, I thought I could surmount the challenges of time constraints, intrusive standardized tests, lifeless writing, and possible plagiarism all at the same time. For all my creative tinkering with the assignment -- the shortcuts, the safeguards, the peer responses -- all my fears came true, again.
Reading the actual papers brought some satisfaction and joy, but also fatigue and frustration. After two strong papers showing each writer's improvement from rough draft to revision to final draft, I encountered altogether too much dry, predictable, error-filled prose. Where did the excitement of "research is like a blind date; you never know what you're going to get" disappear? When did "linger longer" evaporate? What happened to "write with an eraser"? Am I expecting too much of peer responses? Should I have read the first and second drafts? Why don't students understand the importance of revision? Should I have conducted more writing conferences? When? How could I have prevented plagiarism?
An Invitation to Enhance the Process
I realized, then, that my students' struggle with the ambiguity of research was not a reason to stop asking for longer researched papers, but an invitation to take them to a place where canned, formulaic writing just wasn't enough. If I want them to "write with an eraser," I realized that I have to demand that they "linger longer" with the sources that offer challenging and occasionally contradictory information. In sorting out these contradictions, I hope that they will gradually grasp the authority necessary to master their craft. I need, I see now, to let them stew in writing that demands more than shorter pieces of exposition ever can.
This research paper was a first for many of my students, and like many firsts, it came with its own set of frustrations. Yet my students' attitudes toward the project offered some solace. They rated the experience from "daunting" or "okay" to "valuable" or "extremely valuable." Several mentioned how time consuming the project was, but they usually coupled the negative comment with a positive one. Brittany* explained that it "required a lot of analyzing, but [she] learned... how to intertwine the subject with [her] writing." Natasha said the experience taught her to "mix the research with the point [she] is making and [to do] it gracefully." Kayla appreciated learning "how to present factual information in an elegant manner." Some students gained confidence in meeting the challenge. Raul exclaimed he felt "great" after his "long and hard journey."
Sonia even extended the value of this assignment to the larger context of her education. "Research papers," she proclaimed, "should be mandatory in every class, not just English." As it turns out, a new report released by the National Commission on Writing (2003) would agree with her. While not directly addressing the question of research papers, The Neglected "R": The Need for a Writing Revolution argues that educators -- not just English teachers -- must double (yes, double!) the time students spend writing. Composed of high school and college teachers, school superintendents, and college administrators, the Commission advocates writing across the curriculum and stresses the need for more time writing outside of school, with parents reviewing their students' work.
Longer Research Papers are Essential
With rising class sizes, the growing importance of standardized tests, and increased availability of ready-made papers on the Internet, educators across the country are seeing their instructional time shrink even more. These concerns clearly resonate in Erika Hayasaki's recent article, "Two R's Left in High School," published in the Los Angeles Times, May 19, 2003. This disquieting piece asserts that the research paper in the high school classroom is a "lost art." Students interviewed by Hayasaki maintained they were entering college with no idea how to write anything more than a three-page paper. Some college professors felt that college freshmen lack the ability "to think, synthesize, or write in a coherent way." Some even argued that incoming students were "crippled" by their inability to write.
There is little doubt that teaching the seven-to-10-page research paper in AP English Language and Composition is a valuable assignment, so we must find creative ways to meet the crushing time demand. If we do not assign a research paper, we may be cheating these bright, eager, capable students.
The National Commission on Writing declares we need a "writing revolution." I am ready to join. Actually, I think I already have.
* Student names have been changed to protect their privacy.
Reference:
National Commission on Writing in America's Schools and Colleges. 2003. The Neglected "R": The Need for a Writing Revolution. Commission Chairman Peter C. Magrath. New York: College Entrance Examination Board.
 The National Commission on Writing in America's Schools and Colleges
Jewel Kamita continues to teach English at Capistrano Valley High School in Mission Viejo where she began her career 23 years ago. Her last seven years have included teaching AP English Language and Composition. She received the Council for Basic Education and National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship Award for her 1990 independent study in the humanities. She taught composition courses at Saddleback College from 1997 to 2001, served as an AP Reader five years, and became a College Board endorsed workshop consultant in 2001, presenting at the AP National Convention and at the University of California, Riverside, in the summer of 2003.
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