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An Analysis of Discourses of Writing and Writing Instruction in Curricula Across Canada

Abstract This article presents a deductive content analysis of the grade 6 specific and general objectives in the writing curricula across Canada’s 10 provinces and two of its three territories. The analysis uses Ivanič’s six discourses of writing and learning to write: skills discourse, creativity discourse, process discourse, genre discourse, social practices discourse, and sociopolitical discourse. Phrases within each of the curriculum objectives that had some relevance to writing were coded to determine the relative emphases of the discourses within each province’s and territory’s curriculum. The analysis showed that the process discourse predominates in all writing curricula. Elements of the skills, creativity and genre discourses are present with varying emphases across the provincial and territorial curricula. However, there is minimal to no evidence of the social practices and sociopolitical discourses. Implications for curriculum developers endeavouring to create more comprehensive writing curricula include taking up more socially and politically oriented approaches to the teaching of skills and genres, and to fostering creativity in students’ writing, thus creating hybrid discourses that are based in a view of writing as a sociopolitical practice.