Perhaps better considered a confessional than a traditional academic essay, this work is an exploration of the relationship between Catherine Malabou’s concept of plasticity and Woman. I ask the question, “what does it mean to ‘lay claim’ to Woman in our current gender context?” It begins with a short prologue, followed by an unraveling of Malabou’s plastic landscape. I then address and expand upon “The Woman Problem”, attempting to see the way in which it is shaped by gender context and how it also shapes the gender context itself. I suggest that Woman’s status is perhaps best emulated through the concept of explosive plasticity. Finally, I close with the allegory of Exploding Woman.

This descriptive study examines the perceptions of Honduran and Mexican undergraduate students regarding group work in academic writing projects, acknowledging the growing emphasis on collaborative learning in higher education. Conducted over eight weeks, this quantitative research was part of an online international collaboration that connected students and teachers from diverse cultures to develop both academic and soft skills through group work. The study aimed to identify the benefits and challenges of group work while producing a collaborative writing product, “Writing Academic Essays: A Guide for Students.” Data were collected using a validated two-section questionnaire in a Likert scale format. The first section assessed students' perceptions, while the second section examined factors that hinder group work. The instruments evaluated participation equity, communication effectiveness, and logistical coordination among culturally diverse students. Findings show that students value group work for enhancing collaboration and independent learning, with 71.4% agreeing that it develops independent learning and 57.1% affirming that it encourages idea sharing. However, challenges include free-riding, which is reported frequently by 71.4% of respondents and always by 21.4%. Additionally, 42.9% cite unequal work distribution as a frequent issue, while 50% find scheduling meetings outside of class difficult. Recommendations include establishing clear role assignments, incorporating peer evaluations, providing collaborative tools, offering flexible assessment methods, and delivering training for students and educators to address diverse learning preferences and improve cooperative experience.

Many researchers have acknowledged the tangible benefits of a combined approach to teaching second-language (L2) writing in multiple genres. However, little empirical evidence was available in the literature. Therefore, we initiated a quasi-experimental study to examine the impact of a combined approach on teaching essay writing. Eventually, an experimental group of 100 randomly selected university students received instruction in L2 writing through the combined approach. Measurements were taken to evaluate the progress of learners through essay-writing activities in different genres for a semester. All essays were evaluated against a rubric for criteria covering organisation, content, vocabulary, cohesion, structure, and mechanics. Results indicate immediate and significant improvements in students’ performance from their first essay, with positive outcomes maintained through the final essays. However, some factors demonstrated a bigger change than others. The areas where the students’ improvements were mostly identified included content, organisation and cohesion, vocabulary, and structure. In contrast, the development of using mechanics in their writing was relatively low. The study has pedagogical implications for the researchers and practitioners of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) and English as a Second Language (ESL) contexts. The way to apply a combined approach in writing classes and the method of researching the outcome of such a teaching strategy, as briefly presented in this study, could be exercised in EFL or ESL writing classes through adoption or adaptation processes. Introducing the approach in essay writing classes could be especially effective.

This study focuses on the summarizing activity performed by students during the “Introduction Writing” process for academic essays. Students first select a topic for their academic essay and then read and summarize three academic journal articles. Next, they compare their summaries with those produced by a generative artificial intelligence(AI) chatbot. Afterwards, students identify the differences between the summaries and review the results. Summarizing is not simply a mechanical process of extracting, listing, and combining repetitive words. Rather, it is an integrated reading-writing activity that allows instructors to assess whether learners' literacy skills have improved and whether they actually engaged in in-depth reading. Learners can now evaluate the effectiveness of self-generated AI chatbots and decide whether to use them. Such activities can help develop learners' AI literacy and strengthen their metacognitive abilities.

ABSTRACT The integration of Generative artificial intelligence (AI) /large language models (LLMs) into educational environments has significantly reshaped students’ approaches to academic writing. This qualitative study examines the intricate relationship between these writing tools and traditional educator feedback through semi-structured focus groups with students. Thematic analysised data revealed that while students initially find these tools reassuring for generating ideas and checking grammar, they soon realise that Generative AI/LLMs cannot replace the insightful, contextual feedback offered by experienced educators. Four main themes emerged: the evolving role of writing tools, the indispensable value of educator feedback, the benefit of peer collaboration, and the cognitive overload associated with the expectation to effectively utilise these digital aids without compromising work quality. The study underscores the importance of fostering collaborative relationships between Generative AI/LLMs and educators to enhance student engagement, promote deeper learning, and improve academic writing proficiency. Acknowledging the limitations of these tools, alongside their benefits, can ensure that technological advancements supplement rather than supplant traditional teaching methods. Institutions should develop strategies that leverage the tools’ advantages while preserving vital human elements, creating an environment conducive to meaningful learning and intellectual growth. Highlights This study investigates student interactions with Generative AI/LLMs versus human feedback in writing. A qualitative approach, through focus groups, reveals unique limitations of writing assistant tools in providing nuanced feedback. Findings underscore the irreplaceable role of educator support in fostering writing development. Emphasises a balanced integration of Generative AI/LLMs and human assistance to enhance writing skills. Highlights the risks of cognitive overload when students rely solely on writing assistant tools for academic tasks.

Sentence structure plays an important role in shaping clarity, coherence, and academic accuracy in scientific writing. This study aims to examine syntactic differences in the use of simple, compound, and complex sentences in two academic essays written by EFL students. Using a qualitative descriptive research design, this study analyzes two student essays entitled “Technology: Addressing Inequality, How Technology Can Promote Inclusive Education in the Digital Revolution” and “The Impact of Electronic Media Radiation Often Overlooked by Many People”. Data were collected through document analysis and classified based on clause structure, sentence types, as well as the use of coordinating and subordinating conjunctions. The findings reveal a clear difference in syntactic patterns between the two texts. The first essay shows a strong dominance of complex and compound–complex sentences, reflecting higher syntactic complexity and analytical depth, while the second essay primarily uses simple sentences with few complex constructions, indicating a more informative and linear writing style. These differences suggest that sentence structure choices are closely related to rhetorical purposes and the level of academic literacy. The study highlights the importance of syntactic awareness in academic writing and suggests that explicit instruction on sentence variation can support EFL students in developing more sophisticated and effective written discourse.

International organisations have formed the foundation of the global multilateral order since the end of World War II. In recent years, however, they have become the target of increasing criticism from populist politicians who are trying to demolish the foundations of the liberal international order. The aim of this academic essay is to contribute to the rapidly growing research on populist disengagement from the liberal international order by comparing the behaviour of Javier Milei and Nayib Bukele towards international organisations. The selection of these two particular populists fills a gap in the contemporary literature, which is mainly devoted to more straightforward right-wing populists, such as Viktor Orbán, or straightforward left-wing populists, like Hugo Chávez. The essay demonstrates that the approach of these two populist politicians toward international organisations differs drastically. Javier Milei is a clear example of an outsider populist with a radical stance toward the liberal international order. Nayib Bukele, on the other hand, represents a more pragmatic approach

Academic writing remains prevalent in higher education. The academic essay is the dominant mode of assessment in many university disciplines, including literary studies. Many students struggle with this genre of writing in relation to literary texts. This article presents the findings of a qualitative study of a purposeful sample of 20 participants who were enrolled in a third-year module that forms part of a four-year Bachelor of Education degree at an urban university in South Africa. The research is focused on the use of an alternative assessment, beyond academic essays, in an English literary studies module. The assessment required students to draw a book cover for the text that represented a key concept from a prescribed chapter together with a written explanation of their covers that engaged with the cover and source text. The study is framed by arts-based assessment to advance core skills required in literary studies, such as close reading, argumentation, and the application of disciplinary content knowledge for the study of Markus Zusak’s novel, The Book Thief.

This study examines the construction of writer identity among undergraduate English language students, comparing Jordanian students at the University of Jordan with their counterparts at San Diego State University. Through a methodology based on multi-method analysis, the overall importance of the research lies in analysing student essays written in two different educational contexts. Discourse-based interviews complement the tools to achieve the goal of this comparative design, which is to clarify and explore the impact of various educational contexts and international experience on the construction of academic writer identity among English as a second/foreign language students. The study employs a results-based method that examines students’ linguistic choices in their academic essays to investigate the impact of the rhetorical features used on the construction of their written identity. The results also reveal subtle differences in writing strategies, as shown by the greater use of first-person pronouns among Jordanian students. On the other hand, San Diego State University students show increased linguistic development, including more structured discussions with clear topic sentences and supporting details. The study concludes that there is a positive and significant relationship between international educational experience and the development of some aspects of academic writer identity.

This study investigates the use of the definite article “the” in Pakistani undergraduate students' academic essays and explores how the first language (L1) influences and shapes article use. A self-compiled corpus of forty essays by undergraduate students was analyzed using AntConc (Version 3.5.8) to examine the frequency, distribution, and contextual patterns of “the”. The British National Corpus (BNC) was used as a reference to establish native-English benchmarks. Quantitative analysis revealed that Pakistani English exhibits a higher frequency of “the” compared to Standard English. Quantitative analysis showed that Pakistani English demonstrates a higher frequency of 'the' than Standard English. In addition, through qualitative concordance analysis, several recurrent patterns in its usage were identified, including overuse in generic or non-specific contexts and omission in definite contexts. These tendencies reflect L1 transfer from Urdu, which lacks an article system, and highlight features of Pakistani English as an evolving localized variety. The findings add to the understanding of article usage in World Englishes and offer pedagogical insight into improving academic writing instruction in similar linguistic contexts.

This case study investigated how Project-Based Learning (PBL) supported academic essay writing among non-English major undergraduates in an English for Specific Purposes (ESP) course at Institut Teknologi dan Bisnis Asia Malang (N = 32, Information Technology). Methodologically, the study contributed a transparent analytic protocol that combined pre post analytic rubric scoring, classroom observations, weekly reflection journals, and focus-group discussions, with procedures for coding, theme development, member checking, and an audit trail to enhance trustworthiness. The four-week PBL intervention culminated in a digital magazine on the “AI Phenomenon” and scaffolded five writing components: content, structure/organization, argumentation, cohesion, and language use. Descriptive comparisons showed gains across components on a 5-point scale, with structure/organization (+1.04) and cohesion (+1.15) indicating stronger organization and clearer reader guidance. Thematic synthesis of qualitative sources triangulated these results, evidencing increased writer confidence, clearer uptake of feedback, and engagement driven by an authentic publication target. Contextually, the study documented an actionable PBL model for ESP settings with novice EFL writers, detailing design principles such as authentic product, iterative peer review aligned with analytic rubrics, and reflective documentation. The study argued that PBL provided a structured pathway from formulaic drafting toward audience aware, coherent academic essays.

This study examines the grammatical difficulties encountered by students in Kosovo's universities that provide English language programs or incorporate academic writing into their curricula, emphasizing the vital significance of academic essay writing in higher education. An analysis of 50 student essays revealed a total of 894 grammatical errors, with punctuation (52.7%) and sentence structure issues, such as run-on sentences (17.9%), preposition misuse (13.2%), as well as article errors (12.5%), being the most prevalent. The findings indicate that students struggle significantly with fundamental grammatical rules, suggesting deficiencies in their foundational grammar knowledge, likely due to inadequate prior instruction. The consistency of error patterns across submissions highlights a widespread lack of awareness regarding essential grammatical conventions. The study advocates for targeted instructional strategies, including grammar-focused workshops and personalized feedback, to address these common errors. By adopting these approaches, educators can strengthen students’ writing skills, enhancing their academic success and preparing them for professional opportunities.

The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into education has reshaped language learning, particularly in writing. This study examines the effect of AI-assisted writing analysis on the structural coherence of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students’ academic essays. Using a quasi-experimental design, thirty undergraduate students at Universitas Terbuka participated in pre- and post-tests and completed a perception questionnaire based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). Quantitative results revealed significant improvement in structural coherence, especially in organization and use of transitions. Students also reported high perceived usefulness and ease of use of AI tools. These findings suggest that AI-assisted feedback can effectively enhance writing coherence when integrated into process-oriented instruction, while emphasizing the need for teacher guidance and critical engagement. The study highlights the pedagogical and ethical implications of incorporating AI into higher education writing contexts.

Introduction and discussion sections in research articles (RAs) are more complicated than in academic essays. These sections’ rhetorical structures and linguistic phenomena have received considerable attention. Despite the interest, however, few studies have examined negation in the structure of RA introductions and discussions. This study, therefore, contains preliminary research on the distribution, types, and functions of negation in the move-step of the two sections in applied linguistics. Two corpora—Introduction Corpus and Discussion Corpus—were established using data concerning applied linguistics. The theoretical model of negation and move-step models of introductions and discussions were selected as the analytical frameworks. The results reveal that writers are inclined to use various negative markers in the two sections, especially in discussions. Furthermore, regarding functional uses in introductions, interactive negation helps establish a research territory by reviewing previous studies, and interactional negation creates a research niche by critically evaluating previous work and identifying gaps. In discussions, writers tend to employ interactive negation to report results and summarise research and interactional negation to comment on results and assess the research. Additionally, interactive negation is more commonly used than interactional negation to create a coherent structure in RA introductions and discussions in applied linguistics. The findings may be pedagogically significant for providing negation instruction and guiding learning in academic writing.

Abstract: Writing skill, a vital aspect of literacy, often pose challenges for ESL students. The complexity of the structure of an essay, as well as ESL students’ level of proficiency, are some of the problems faced by these learners which can hinder their writing performance. As such, this study investigates ESL students’ perceptions on the writing strategies used when writing academic essays, with a focus on how cognitive, behavioural, and environmental factors interact to shape writing performance. Drawing on Bandura’s triadic reciprocal determinism, this quantitative study aims to explore the relationship between the personal, behaviour and environment components. To gain a better understanding of their perceptions, a survey was conducted to 142 students in a local higher learning institution in Malaysia. The survey used a 5 likert-scale survey and analysis was conducted using SPSS. Findings showed that these students employed all five (5) writing strategies, i.e., metacognitive, effort regulation, cognitive, social, and affective strategies. Findings of this study also suggested that by integrating SCT principles into writing pedagogy not only enhances strategy awareness but also promotes learner autonomy and resilience. Correlation analysis further revealed a highly significant association between personal components and behaviour (r = .718**, p = .000), indicating a strong positive relationship between these variables. It was also found that there are significant correlations among the three constructs personal, behaviour and environment) discussed. This suggested that educators should consider the three constructs in assisting students to write better. The study concludes with pedagogical recommendations and directions for future research into SCT-informed writing interventions. Keywords: Affective Strategies; Cognitive Strategies; Effort Regulation Strategies; Metacognitive Strategies; Social Cognitive Theory; Social Strategies

Problem and aim. One of the problems of higher education is the search for effective forms of training that have didactic potential in terms of developing systemic, critical, creative, and other types of thinking in demand in the digital society. The authors propose to use artificial intelligence technology to develop critical thinking as a universal skill that meets the challenges of transformation and globalization. The purpose of the study is to identify the possibilities of information interaction between future teachers and generative content services to develop their critical thinking. Research methods. The Airuco neural network is used as an educational service of generative content that allows the creating of new electronic material for didactic purposes. The experimental and search work was carried out based on Vyatka State University (Russian Federation). 72 students of the training program – 44.03.05 Pedagogical education, profile "Subject training. Teaching and Education technologies" are involved. To assess the level of critical thinking, the authors developed a test that takes into account the skills identified by B. Bloom. In statistical data processing, the Pearson's chi-squared test was used. KEYWORDS Results. The peculiarity of the presented activity: on the one hand, the generative content service is the object of study (use policy, capabilities, templates, toolbar). On the other hand, the use of generative content services is an additional resource for the development of critical thinking. The work of future teachers of the experimental group is organized in the following stages: studying the service according to the instructions, using the functionality and generating new material, discussing and formulating intermediate conclusions; analysis and evaluation of the result. Students use the Airuco neural network tools to write academic essays and articles, edit text and save them in different formats, design a dialogue with a virtual assistant, and generate images. Statistically significant differences in the qualitative changes that occurred in the pedagogical system were revealed (χ2 = 6.527; p < 0.05). Conclusion. The factors influencing the quality of the application of generative content services for the development of critical thinking of teachers are identified: the possibilities of big data analysis, identification of patterns and contradictions; interactivity of interaction; creation of original design and unique dialogue; forecasting of the result.

This study compares and analyzes the perceptions of Korean and international undergraduate students regarding academic essay titles, with the aim of exploring pedagogical implications for title construction in academic writing. The characteristics of academic titles were classified into two categories—content and expression—with eight sub-dimensions, which were then reflected in a set of sample titles. These titles were evaluated by both Korean and international undergraduates, supplemented with open-ended questions to capture individual perceptions.The findings indicate that both groups tended to highly evaluate titles that were inappropriate for academic writing, suggesting a general lack of ability to discern the academic adequacy of titles at the undergraduate level. Furthermore, compared to their Korean counterparts, international students demonstrated weaker awareness of issues related to inappropriate scope and lack of objectivity in titles. In terms of expression, differences emerged in the evaluation of overly complex titles: Korean students’ judgments were informed by their background knowledge of the purposes and conventions of academic writing, whereas such connections were not evident among international students. Based on these results, pedagogical directions for enhancing undergraduate students’ competence in constructing academic titles are proposed.

This study explores youth discourse to shed light on the zeitgeist and self-image of young people today. While various terms used to describe youth reflect their realities and lived experience, existing studies often position them as subjects of research rather than as active participants. Therefore, this study critically examines whether youth discourse truly reflects the lives of young people. Further, it aims to ensure practical relevance by analyzing their experiences and thoughts. For this purpose, we analyzed the learning processes of students enrolled in a liberal arts course at K University during the first semester of 2025 to explore their self-awareness and sense of the times. Through academic essays in which students independently analyzed relevant issues, this study highlighted the significance of youth discourse in liberal arts education. In this process, students selected major topics and refined details through in-depth discussions to ensure engagement and proactivity. During the topic selection process using mind mapping, students chose generation, sociality, AI, employment, and career as common discussion topics. Centered on these topics, they embraced and explored various perspectives, crafted individual topic sentences through collaborative learning, and enhanced the quality of their writing through peer editing. The writing process revealed that students addressed youth issues with unique perspectives and methods rather than adhering to fixed criteria, suggesting the need for a multidimensional approach that attends to the nuanced voices of young people. Through writing, the students experienced self-realization and community, allowing them to understand and share individual stories as a unique group. This study aimed to highlight the experiences of young people as subjects of youth discourse through the writing class, exploring the challenges they face and potential solutions, and contributing to a better understanding of contemporary youth. It sought to present possibilities and directions for the meaningful participation of youth in society, explore practical applications in educational settings, and provide a foundation for a more inclusive and multidimensional development of youth discourse.

Abstract Scholars have rarely considered academic educational contexts when writing the history of peer evaluation. This article highlights the significance of these contexts by examining the philological seminar at the University of Berlin, established in 1812 by classical philologist August Boeckh. The seminar was highly effective in training qualified scholars, thereby supporting the university’s claim as a modern research institution. Drawing on archival sources, this study reconstructs the evaluative culture practiced in the seminar. Emphasis is placed on the papers the students wrote and their subsequent evaluation by fellow members and the director, in an exercise specifically designed for that purpose. I argue that this practice can be considered an early form of peer evaluation, closely tied to an educational setting. In this context, evaluating papers represents both means and outcome of academic philological training. Seminar members were trained not only to produce research but also to critically assess academic essays, the application of methods, and the results achieved. This leads to a modified objective of peer evaluation, with its dual function of aiming both at teaching and training purposes in class as well as advancing scholarly knowledge. The educational dimension of scholar-to-scholar evaluation broadens our perspective on the origins and history of peer evaluation as an academic practice and invites reflection on its current role in higher education.

Abstract This paper explores the emerging role of large language models (LLMs) in academic feedback for student writing. It examines feedback provided by two human graders and two LLMs, ChatGPT-4.5 and Claude-3.7 Sonnet, on argumentative and reflective essays written by students from diverse linguistic backgrounds. Our investigation addresses two research questions: how human and AI evaluators differ in assessing distinct academic essay genres and how conversational prompting and genre influence the equity and actionability of AI-generated feedback. A six-dimension evaluation rubric reveals that human graders excel at understanding context and offering holistic guidance, while AI-generated feedback demonstrates superior structure and efficiency, particularly in identifying mechanical and organizational issues. AI systems using conversational prompting significantly outperformed both human graders and zero-shot AI, with notable gains in future orientation and conciseness for argumentative essays. Both human and AI evaluators generally produced higher-quality feedback for reflective essays, with 1.3 + point advantages. While AI systems applied more consistent evaluation criteria across different student groups, they showed limitations in deeper evaluation of argument structure and personalized revision strategies. The paper demonstrates how educators can enhance AI-generated feedback through tailored conversational prompting strategies, suggesting that a blended approach combining AI’s structural consistency with human expertise in higher-order analysis offers the most effective educational outcomes.