“Boring People Doing Boring Jobs”: High School Educators’ Conceptions of Technical Writing and Technical Communication

This study explores high school educators’ perceptions of technical writing and communication and their impact on higher education recruitment. A survey of 213 educators revealed narrow, outdated views, with most linking the field only to instructions and procedures. Few identified their teaching as technical writing. However, a brief definitional intervention increased recognition and willingness to promote the field, suggesting that low-stakes efforts may improve awareness along the high school-college pipeline.