Building a Professional Imaginary of Writing Pedagogy: Working With Teacher Knowledge and Beliefs About Writing

ABSTRACT In various settings internationally, and in England in particular, writing pedagogy and associated practice is reported as being enacted in contexts of high‐stakes accountability. These contexts contribute to a prevailing social imaginary for literacy education that can frame and constrain the possibilities for teachers and learners, meaning that opportunities to develop writing pedagogy and practice that are inclusive, expansive, responsive to change, and socially just, are restricted. In this paper, in the light of contextual information, the social imaginary for literacy education is described and conceptualized in relation to teacher knowledge and beliefs about writing. Next, a scoping style review of relevant research and theoretical literature from the last 20 years that reports insights into teacher knowledge and beliefs about writing and writing pedagogy is presented. Nine themes and associated claims are constructed as a result of the insights derived and are presented collectively to provoke research‐informed critical reflection about the nature of teacher knowledge and beliefs about writing and writing pedagogy in relation to the social imaginary and its effects. To conclude, an alternate imaginary is presented as an ideal: The Professional Imaginary of Writing Pedagogy. This imaginary brings teacher knowledge about the social imaginary for literacy education into relation with teacher professional knowledge, to promote pedagogies and practices for writing that are inclusive, expansive, responsive, and socially just.