Overview
Hannah Davis is a Senior Lecturer of Writing Studies in the Thompson Writing Program at Duke University. She studies writing pedagogy with a particular interest in first-year writing. Her current research inquires into the role of the habits of mind in promoting students’ intrinsic motivation for writing. As such, Hannah conducts classroom research to study the effects and students’ reception of various writing pedagogies. Employing metacognitive activities in her writing courses, Hannah hopes to foster students’ awareness of their writing practices, use of relevant habits of mind (especially openness, persistence, and curiosity), and engagement with writing as a dynamic process.
Before arriving at Duke, Hannah earned her PhD in Rhetoric and Composition from Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, Texas, where she taught first-year writing through the lens of creativity theory. Her classroom research led her to the intersection of the fields of writing, creativity, and education, which all promote process-based learning, the habits of mind, and growth mindsets. Her continued research in this area not only contributes to the field of writing studies, particularly conversations about writing pedagogy, but also allows her to prioritize her teaching and her work with first-year writers.