Academic Literacy Research Articles

Ukuziphendulela kubahlaziyi besiZulu

Writing in African languages remains a challenge especially when your writing is going to be judged through the lenses of a colonial language. this is because the dominant languages in education, such as English preside over academic literacy and therefore dictates how academic writing should be carried out. This paper is based on the reviewers’ comments about a chapter that was submitted for possible publication in a book. The chapter was written in isiZulu and the reviewers provided their review in isiZulu as well. This paper therefore interrogates these comments using autoethnography which allows the ‘self’ of the researcher to be part of the investigated. The researcher responds to these comments in order to establish their basis. The analysis indicates that whilst the reviewers provided useful comments for the improvement of the chapter, some of their comments revealed their ignorance about the research paradigm chosen by the researcher. The conclusion is that comments based on reviewers’ ignorance of the researcher’s chosen method of investigation are likely to discourage writers who might not have the energy to explain themselves to the reviewers. Iqoqa Ukubhala ngezilimi zase-Afrikha kuhlala kuyinselelo ikakhulukazi uma ukubhala kwakho kuzokwahlulelwa ngokusebenzisa indlelakubuka yolimi lwamakholoni. Lokhu kungenxa yokuthi izilimi ezihamba phambili emfundweni, njengesiNgisi zengamela ukufunda nokubhala kwe-zemfundo, ngakho-ke yizo ezibeka imithetho yokubhala kwezemfundo nokuthi kufanele kwenziwe kanjani. Leli phepha lisekelwe emibonweni yabahlaziyi ma-yelana nesahluko esithunyelwe ukuze sishicilelwe encwadini. Isahluko sibhalwe ngesiZulu kanti abahlaziyi babuye banikeza imibono yabo nangesiZulu. Ngakho-ke leli phepha liphenya le mibono lisebenzisa i-autoethnography evumela ukuthi 'uqobo' lo mcwaningi abe yingxenye yophenyo. Umcwaningi uphendula le mibono ukuze athole isisekelo sawo. Uhlaziyo lu-khombisa ukuthi nakuba abahlaziyi beveze imibono ewusizo ukuze kuthuthukiswe isahluko, okunye uku-phawula kwabo kuveze ukungazi kwabo ngephuzu locwaningo elikhethwe um cwaningi. Isiphetho sidingida ukuphawula oku-sekelwe ekungazini kwabahlaziyi nge-ndlela yophenyo ekhethiwe yomcwaningi kungenzeka kudikibalise ababhali abangase bangabi nawo amandla okuzichaza kubahlaziyi

Effectiveness of Quantitative Research Methods Course Module in Fostering Students' Academic Literacy

Effectiveness of Quantitative Research Methods Course Module in Fostering Students' Academic Literacy

Academic literacy in enabling education programs in Australian universities: a shared pedagogy

AbstractWidening participation in higher education has led to the global expansion of universities, increased student and program diversity, and greater provision of flexible pathways into university. Critical to supporting a growing student body is helping all students develop their ability to communicate confidently and effectively in their academic communities. This research employs a collaborative benchmarking framework to explore academic literacy instruction in pathway or ‘enabling’ programs across nine Australian universities. While prevailing assumptions hold that such programs are overly diverse, the findings demonstrate that these programs have developed remarkably similar approaches; in particular, the investigation found that the programs all drew on established academic literacy models and reflected an emerging disciplinary coherence across the enabling education sector, despite the lack of a formal curriculum and standards framework.Kindly check and confirm the processed Article title is correct.This is correct

Embedded approaches to academic literacy development: a systematic review of empirical research about impact

ABSTRACT This systematic literature review identifies evidence used to justify embedded approaches to academic literacy development. This inquiry is of direct relevance to widening participation in higher education and persistent inequity with completion rates for linguistically and culturally diverse student groups. Using the PRISMA-P checklist, 20 studies were included. Analysis focused on their research designs, types of evidence presented, pedagogic practices implemented, and journal choice. Findings show that research designs often involved questionnaire, interview, and focus group data to generate insights about student and staff perceptions. Descriptions of pedagogic practices were brief and not always related to claims about impact, and publishing targeted a variety of disciplines. These findings highlight the need for research teams with discipline knowledge and literacy knowledge so that evidence about the impacts of embedded approaches on academic performance are included, as well as complementary publications that detail the pedagogic practices contributing to change in academic performance.

Exploring the Interplay between Writing Practices and Identity Formation in Academic Contexts

In academic settings, the relationship between writing practices and identity formation is a cornerstone of scholarly inquiry. As individuals engage in writing, they convey information and construct and negotiate their identities within disciplinary, cultural, and linguistic frameworks. This review paper provides a comprehensive synthesis of existing scholarship on the intricate relationship between writing practices and identity formation in academic contexts. Drawing upon a systematic analysis of 30 studies, the paper illuminates the complex interplay between language, culture, and academic discourse in shaping authorial identities. Key themes explored include conceptualizing writing as an act of identity construction, the challenges faced by distinct student populations in establishing authorial voices, disciplinary variations in identity formation, and pedagogical implications for academic writing instruction. The review integrates diverse theoretical frameworks, such as sociocultural perspectives, academic literacy approaches, and integrationist models, offering a nuanced understanding of the mechanisms underlying identity construction through writing. Furthermore, this review also identifies gaps and potential avenues for future research, including the need for longitudinal studies, the exploration of individual agency in identity formation, and the examination of emerging technologies and interdisciplinary collaborations. Ultimately, this synthesis adds to ongoing conversations about how writing practices affect identity formation. It does this by informing teaching methods and institutional policies that support positive identity development among diverse academic communities.

The liminal space: academic literacies practitioners’ construction of professional identity in the betwixt and between

Research on third space practitioners in higher education has gained traction since the mid-2010s. However, less research has been done on academic literacy practitioners as third space practitioners, and their often-marginalised positioning at many South African higher education institutions. This is despite their integral role in student success, and the fact that many South African academic literacy practitioners support the academic literacies development of thousands of students. At the same time, many also negotiate problematic binaries in terms of institutional conceptualisations and positionings of academic literacies development. This article explores how academic literacy practitioners construct their professional identities and manage the complex tensions that are often an inherent part of these professional identities. Using qualitative data, this research explores which institutional structures and cultures surround academic literacy practitioners, and what constraining or enabling effects these have on how they perform their roles and construct their professional identities. The findings highlight that research helps academic literacy practitioners establish a professional identity and legitimise the value of academic literacies development work. Participants also spoke about the importance of communities of practice and collaboration in shaping their professional identities. Although this paper focuses on South Africa, the findings will likely be useful in other contexts where academic literacy practitioners negotiate problematic binaries while trying to construct professional identities.

Adolescent English Learners’ Awareness of Disciplinary Writing and Academic Language in Science Classrooms: The Affordances of a Register-Functional Perspective

ABSTRACT This article reports findings from a study that investigated English learners’ (ELs’) developing awareness of disciplinary writing and academic language in science courses in a U.S.-based high school. Based on an analysis of writing samples, this case study first introduces the situational and linguistic characteristics of two science writing tasks in forensics and oceanography. The author then explores ELs’ developing understanding of science writing and academic science language via ethnographically oriented interviews. Informed by the Register-Functional perspective and Academic Literacies frameworks, the analyses demonstrate higher EL sensitivity to vocabulary, but not grammatical structures yet. Writing practices in science classes shape ELs’ understanding of disciplinary writing in unexpected directions. The situational analysis of writing and ELs’ perspectives provide a systematic approach for understanding learner needs in writing and integrating language into content instruction. Implications for EL education in science and teacher collaborations are provided.

Evaluating Students’ Engagement in Feedback through an Academic Literacy Approach

In the context of higher education, the development of academic literacy is crucial in enhancing students' ability to use academic language for critical thinking and information analysis. This ability serves as the foundation for effective academic writing skills. This study highlights the challenges faced by students in the Faculty of Education at Lambung Mangkurat University regarding academic literacy, including difficulties in explaining the background of the problem, formulating research objectives clearly, and developing coherent arguments. Furthermore, the importance of academic literacy practices in a social context is emphasized, where students need to identify valued communication practices within specific disciplines. The research findings indicate that learning activities are still focused on learning objectives that overlook academic literacy practices. Therefore, it is essential for educators to provide constructive feedback to students to help them develop an academic identity that aligns with teachers' expectations.

Exploring EFL Learners' Academic Literacy Development: An Ecological Perspective

AbstractAcademic literacy development is shaped by multiple individual and contextual factors that mutually interact with one another. Previous studies have identified some of the factors, but few explored their complex and dynamic interactions in students' writing practices. The study adopts a case study method to examine EFL learners' academic literacy development from an ecological perspective. Findings reveal that (1) affordances and constraints are not predetermined categories but are interactive and emergent; (2) personal traits largely shape the way learners perceive, appropriate, and interact with contextual affordances; (3) complex person‐environment interactions are generally situated within the dialectical relationship between agency and structure in connected literate activities; (4) the way students characterize and shape their relations with contextual affordances/constraints bears developmental effects. The study unveils complex person‐environment interactions in EFL learners' academic literacy development while shedding light on relevant pedagogical practices.

Exploring Student Agency in Narratives of English Literacy Events across School Subjects

In contemporary academia, English-language reading assignments are prevalent, even in contexts where English is not the primary medium of instruction nor the local language. This presents a challenge for students with English as a foreign language (EFL) who seek to pursue a university education in their home country. This study investigates the presence of English literacy events in Swedish upper secondary schools outside of English classes and explores their implications for university readiness and educational equity. Using survey data from 163 EFL students and qualitative content analysis, students’ written comments revealed a notable absence of English literacy events in non-English subjects, with limited exposure to written English texts and occasional use of multimodal English activities. The findings underscore disparities in students’ opportunities to engage with academic English literacy practices, primarily influenced by individual factors. This paper delves into the interplay between individual dimensions, and institutional and social practices, in shaping student agency in English academic literacy practices.

Academic Literacy in University Students

Objective: The aim of this research is to explore the academic literacy of university students, evaluated as a construct composed of five dimensions: academic writing and discursive genres, stages and steps in academic writing, sources of information used, digital literacy, and the use of digital platforms for collecting academic works. Theoretical Framework: This section presents the main concepts and academic literature that support the research, providing a solid foundation to understand the context of the study. Method: The methodology adopted for this research is quantitative in nature, with a cross-sectional design, and exploratory and descriptive scope. Data collection was conducted using a questionnaire composed of five dimensions, in order to cover all aspects inherent to academic literacy. Results and Discussion: The study on academic writing in university students reveals significant deficiencies in essential practices and skills. A high percentage of students infrequently engage in writing academic texts and self-assess as deficient in essay writing, which suggests a lack of confidence and critical ability. Moreover, most do not follow proper planning or drafting processes in their work and tend to opt for less rigorous information sources like Google, instead of specialized academic databases. These findings indicate an urgent need to reinforce the teaching of academic writing and digital literacy, with a focus on improving argument structuring and critical evaluation of sources to prepare students for future academic and professional challenges. Originality/Value: This study provides a critical perspective on the effectiveness of academic writing practices in higher education, identifying key areas for improvement of essential skills and digital literacy among university students.

Using a Five-Phase Applied Linguistics Design to Develop a Contextualized Academic Literacy Placement Test for Pre-University Pathway Students

ABSTRACT For students who have faced previous educational disadvantage, academic literacies are key to access and participation in higher education. Reliable placement in academic literacies courses engages these learners in appropriately pitched learning activities, ensuring optimal learning while developing their confidence and motivation. In this context, we aimed to develop a reliable assessment of students’ academic literacy knowledge to ensure accurate and context-sensitive placement in one of two foundational academic literacy courses. These courses were situated in a pathway program in a regional Australian university that aimed to broaden participation in higher education for individuals from under-represented groups and educationally disadvantaged backgrounds. In this article, we describe, sequentially, the use of a five-phase applied linguistics design to develop the Academic Literacy Level Test (ALLTest). The phases represent the underlying principle of allowing pragmatic considerations to precede (but not preclude) theoretical ones, and consist, in turn, of (1) identifying the language challenge, (2) applying technical imagination and knowledge, (3) devising an initial (and iteratively subsequent) solution, (4) providing a theoretical justification, and (5) revising or finalizing a blueprint. We demonstrate how this process resulted in an organizationally efficient, context-specific, valid and reliable test of academic literacy.

Applying an Academic Literacies Lens to the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL): A Scoping Review

Scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) is central to improving teaching, enhancing students’ learning experiences and ensuring practice is evidence-based. This study explores the insights gained by applying an academic literacies lens to the results of professional development initiatives (programmes, schemes, etc.,) designed to enhance features of faculty colleagues’ SoTL skills. A scoping review was conducted on Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice (JUTLP) papers published from 2004-2023. Developing teaching practice is a central theme of JUTLP and the papers published across this timeframe provide a rich source from which to explore initial insights as a first step to potentially deeper explorations. The review identified four themes emerging from the qualitative data captured across the review sample: meaning-making together; journey of becoming; flattening of power; and context-specific identities. The analysis points to reasons why collaborative meaning-making opportunities are so valued within professional development initiatives. The academic literacies lens highlights issues of discourse, power, epistemology and identity, and consequently illuminates these collaborative moments as spaces that provide a knowledge and identity-based anchor for colleagues. This lens also stresses the destabilising and emotive nature of ‘becoming’ a pedagogic scholar. Implications of the findings are considered from an academic development perspective. Discussion centres particularly on how academic developers may work to support rather than jeopardise colleagues’ future SoTL trajectories.

“The results might not fully represent…”: Negation in the limitations sections of doctoral theses by Chinese and American students

Abstract The ability to achieve social interaction is both a key feature of research writing and an important aspect of advanced academic literacy. It can be seen in how doctoral students employ rhetorical resources to acknowledge limitations in thesis writing while securing a positive view of the research. Negation is one of the crucial interactional options, but less explored in English for Academic Purposes (EAP) literature. In this study, we drew on the appraisal theory to see negation as a disclaim marker that engaged with alternative positions and employed corpus analysis to examine the forms and functions of negation in the ‘limitations’ section of doctoral theses. To better understand how student writers exploit negation to achieve the rhetorical end, we further explored co-articulations of negation with other appraisal resources. A corpus-based analysis of 100 doctoral theses by Chinese and American doctoral students in applied linguistics showed that American students made significantly more use of negation, especially pairing negation with engagement and graduation resources. We attribute the difference to genre and culture norms and also raise pedagogical implications on the cultivation of students’ rhetorical awareness and the classroom teaching of research writing.

Exploring factors influencing academic literacy – A data-driven perspective

Background: Data science and machine learning have shown their usefulness in business and are gaining prevalence in the educational sector. In illustrating the potential of educational data mining (EDM) and learning analytics (LA), this article illustrates how such methods can be applied to the South African higher education institution (HEI) environment to enhance the teaching and learning of academic literacy modules.Objectives: The objective of this study is to determine if data science and machine learning methods can be effectively applied to the context of academic literacy teaching and learning and provide stakeholders with valuable decision support.Method: The method applied in this study is a variation of the knowledge discovery and data mining process specifically adapted for discovery in the educational environment.Results: This study illustrates that utilising educational data can support the educational environment by measuring pedagogical support, examining the learning process, supporting strategic decision-making, and predicting student performance.Conclusion: Educators can improve module offerings and students’ academic acculturation by applying EDM and LA to data collected from academic literacy modules.Contribution: This manuscript contributes to the field of EDM and LA by illustrating that methods from these research fields can be applied to the South African educational context and produce valuable insights using local data, providing practical proof of its feasibility and usefulness. This is aligned with the scope of this journal as it pertains to innovations in information management and competitive intelligence.

The impact of large language models on university students’ literacy development: a dialogue with Lea and Street’s academic literacies framework

ABSTRACT Large Language Models have already begun to affect the higher education landscape. However, there is currently a lack of work investigating how these models interface – and possibly interfere – with literacy development. Considering literacy is critical because student learning is only made possible through language. This paper considers implications for university students’ literacy development by drawing on Lea and Street’s academic literacies framework. I argue that LLMs pose different levels of risk for students’ development of each aspect of literacy contained within the framework: study skills are least at risk, academic socialisation is most at risk, and academic literacies represent an intermediate risk. Implications for instructors include dedicated instructional time and support for students to engage with reading and writing practices without LLM support before they begin to incorporate them into their literacies repertoire. If students rely too heavily on LLMs initially, there is a danger they will not undergo the enculturation and cognitive development necessary for success at university.

Half-baked essays: the embedded use of writing exemplars to encourage active learning for radiography students

This paper discusses the implementation of exemplar essays within an undergraduate first-year diagnostic radiography module to encourage active learning and the development of academic literacies. Nine essays (~400 words each) were provided over six sessions, using lecturer-guided discussion to explore the academic virtues and pitfalls demonstrated alongside assessment criteria. Exemplars were based upon a fictitious baking profession to illicit student interest and eliminate the risk of imitation or plagiarism. The quality of essays varied, with overt examples of common mistakes in spelling, essay structure and selection of appropriate literature. Upon completion of the sessions, and prior to summative assessment, students were surveyed with regard to their opinion of the teaching intervention. Feedback was obtained from 65% of the cohort (n=31/48), who reported an improvement in essay writing confidence. Students found the marking of the essays in class useful and the baking analogy was well received. Not all students found the classroom activities engaging though, with some wishing greater interactivity due to boredom and repetition. Furthermore, there was a slight reduction in pass rates and average marks across the cohort when compared to the previous module delivery. Nevertheless, there was a substantial increase in students attaining marks of 80% or more. This study highlights exemplar essays as a low-tech, low-cost option to increase assessment literacy but accepts the wide diversity in student learning preferences and experience. The efficacy of exemplar essays cannot be guaranteed, and teaching staff must be cognisant of individual student learning needs.

Selection of a Topic of a Research Proposal of Emerging Academic Writers in a Blended Linked EAP Course: An Interactional Ethnographic Perspective

AbstractRecent years have witnessed the ethnographic turn in academic writing research and the multimodal turn in classroom discourse studies. Most research proposal genre studies have only provided generic guidelines, and most EAP intervention studies have only provided pre‐ and post‐intervention learning outcomes but have not examined actual in‐depth classroom teaching and after‐class consultative processes of proposal development. This paper fills these gaps by following the view of genre as contextualized social practices and adopting interactional ethnography (IE) logic‐of‐inquiry to analyze video‐recorded linked EAP classroom interactions and WeChat‐mediated individual consultations focusing on postgraduate students' topic selection. IE‐guided reasoning and analysis may make the invisible research topic developmental processes transparent by utilizing IE analytic tools to visualize these dynamic and complex processes, identify cultural patterns of academic literacy practices, and (re)theorize educational phenomena. The IE approach may complement the well‐established three approaches to student writing (i.e., study skills, academic socialization, academic literacies) as the fourth approach for its deep theorizing, micro‐ethnographic discourse‐based analysis, and video‐enabled IE‐guided analytic tools. This study may make a methodological contribution to the EAP field through the IE as an epistemology with analytical tools and propose a tri‐level four‐step IE analytic model for teacher‐researchers' self‐reflexive professional development.

КОНФЕРЕНЦИЯДА БАЯНДАМА ЖАСАУДЫҢ ЕРЕКШЕЛІКТЕРІ

Abstract. The article presents the features of a scientific report accompanying a speech with an electronic presentation. An oral scientific report cannot be an improvisation, it is considered in the article on the preliminary preparation and repetition of speech with special attention to complex terms, reference statements, surnames (with the correct accent and ending), complex syntactic constructions. The article presents the information necessary for speaking to competent listeners at a student conference, exhibition. The article can be used by students, undergraduates, speakers. The purpose of the article is to create a scientific report at scientific exhibitions, conferences, symposiums, competitions of scientific papers, to accompany the presentation, to provide information on the development of academic literacy.

Developing digital academic skills in preservice teachers: performance and metacognitive perspectives

ABSTRACT The purpose of this research was to evaluate an instructional change in an academic literacy course that transitioned from traditional print- to digital-based instruction. The learning outcomes of 71 preservice teachers who attended the digitally-modified course were compared to the learning outcomes of 55 students who attended the same course with print-based instruction. Results showed that the print and digital cohorts developed comparable academic literacy skills, with higher confidence ratings in the digital cohort for both reading and writing performance. Interestingly, the digital cohort was calibrated in their self-evaluation of writing quality, but not in their assessment of reading comprehension. Taken together, this study emphasises the importance of incorporating strategies for deep processing of digital materials and tools to facilitate digital academic writing skills in teacher education. In addition, future teachers should be made aware of the metacognitive biases that accompany digital learning.