Academic Literacy Development Research Articles

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.

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.

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.

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.

A Critical Review on the Second Language Academic Literacy Development in Iranian Higher Education System

A Critical Review on the Second Language Academic Literacy Development in Iranian Higher Education System

Supervisory feedback and doctoral students’ academic literacy development: the case of writing for publication

ABSTRACT This study examines how supervisory feedback facilitates doctoral students’ academic literacy development in their situated practice of writing for publication (WFP). Multiple-sourced data collected from one supervisor and his four doctoral students were analyzed, including drafts with written comments added, feedback dialogues around text development through instant messaging, and student interviews. Findings show that supervisory feedback unpacks the hidden knowledge about WFP and contributes to students’ academic literacy development in three ways, namely, familiarizing them with the conventions of the academic genre, inducting them to the social relations embedded in scholarly communication, and encouraging them to make and claim original contributions. Overall, the supervisory feedback characterized by dialogic interactions creates a productive site for students to internalize the tacit and discipline-specific knowledge in the social practice of WFP and develop as reflexive and independent scholarly writers. The findings have implications for academic writing pedagogy and feedback giving at doctoral level.

(Re)Imagining higher education: an inspirational guide for academics

We live in times of certain uncertainty with Higher Education in constant need of reflexive adaptation. The Reimagining Higher Education project, funded by the Association for Learning Development in Higher Education (ALDinHE), explored creatively and playfully the future of education. It invited the academic community to participate in workshops to reflect on the current status of Higher Education and, at the same time, to conceptualise what form a humane and integrated Learning Development, the holistic and sustainable fostering of academic literacies and practices, would take within that Higher Education system. The outcome is an open-source guide of Higher Education models, real and idealised, that potentially have the power to change perspectives and attitudes. In this short presentation, we (the project team) will showcase the guide, outlining what a more inclusive, empowering, and creative academia would look like. Our research participants have imaged the unimaginable: universities open, accessible, full of trust, care and laughter. Please join us to further reflect on the future of academia, with hope and positivity.

Impact assessment of academic support provided by tertiary learning advisors

In New Zealand higher education (HE), there is a lack of consistent ways of collecting evidence of the impact made by academic literacy support from Tertiary Learning Advisors (TLAs) on students’ academic performance, retention, and success. TLAs in New Zealand and Australia are primarily involved in providing learning support to students in post-secondary education to encourage development of their academic literacy and essential study skills. They are professional educators who advise students on issues related to academic writing and other academic skills, such as time management or exam preparation, to facilitate achievement of students’ goals of tertiary study (Griffith University, 2021). While it may be recognised that provision of learning support is desirable for a meaningful and successful HE experience for many students, hard evidence that learning support makes a difference to student retention and academic performance is difficult to find (Acheson, 2006, as cited in Breen and Prothero, 2015).   This presentation sought to share an attempt to address this issue by investigating the impact of embedded academic literacy support provided by TLAs to three cohorts of students enrolled in undergraduate social work and early childhood education programs at my ITP (Institute of Technology and Polytechnic) in Auckland, New Zealand. Existing research in Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom suggests that support that embeds academic literacy development in disciplines, rather than academic support that is generic and/or provided through foundation courses, represents a best practice model (Glew et al., 2019).

Attitude Towards English and Frequency of Code Switching: Implications on Grade 10 Students’ English Academic Performance

The relationship between code-switching, attitude towards English, and students’ academic performance is complex and context-dependent. To address this, the current study employed a concurrent nested mixed-method approach and investigated the relationship between Grade 10 students' attitudes towards the English language, frequency of code-switching, and academic performance. Sixty students participated in the quantitative portion, and five students took part in a focus group discussion for the qualitative portion. Data were collected using an adapted version of Bernice Anoykes’ questionnaire on Attitudes and Motivation and were analyzed using descriptive statistics and regression analysis. The qualitative responses of the participants were analyzed and organized into categories and themes. Results showed that the students had a moderately favorable attitude towards the English language, a high frequency of code-switching, and were approaching a proficient level in their English academic performance. The study also found that attitudes towards English and the frequency of code-switching significantly influenced their academic performance in English. Remarkably, the participants perceived their attitude towards the English language as a hindrance to learning, expressing apprehension about potential embarrassment and language anxiety. Conversely, they also regarded it as an avenue for career advancement, recognizing its potential for employment opportunities, access to knowledge, and the development of academic literacy. These findings offer important information for teachers and language learners, emphasizing the impact of attitudes towards the English and code-switching on academic achievement. The study suggests that educators promote positive attitudes, authentic language practice, and targeted instruction to enhance language learners’ proficiency and academic success in English.

From 'business as usual' to 'business unusual': Online academic literacy development for education students during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Covid-19 pandemic brought about restrictions on physical interactions, which in many ways changed how we live and work. Due to these restrictions, writing centres at universities and other educational institutions around the world had to transition from traditional ways of supporting students to online or remote methods. To save the academic year, Wits University’s teaching and learning and other student support programmes, including the Wits School of Education Writing Centre (WSoE WC), were compelled to adopt Emergency Remote Teaching and Learning (ERTL). Transitioning to ERTL meant1 reimagining student support in an online mode. This paper explores how the WSoE WC transitioned from face-to-face student consultations to offering online academic literacy support and development. The paper highlights the adaptation process in the transition, particularly how the WSoE WC dealt with the varying complexities accompanying ERTL. The main question guiding this exploration is: How did the WSoE WC negotiate the move to online academic literacy support and development during the Covid-19 pandemic? Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with the director of the WSoE WC, who steered the adoption of the online mode and the peer tutors who worked directly with students online. The findings show that transitioning to the online mode during ERTL was difficult and complex. However, collective and individual agency enabled continued student academic literacy2 support despite disruption and change. This paper contributes to the ongoing conversation around the role of writing centres at universities in South Africa and beyond, particularly during disruptions. 

Developing Chinese university students' academic literacies in English language classrooms via a production-oriented approach: an action research perspective.

Developing academic literacies is becoming an important research topic in TESOL and has received increasing scholarly attention. One of the difficulties in developing university students' academic literacy in English language speaking is the lack of an authentic English language learning environment and the way to help students more effectively develop their language competence. To address this issue, this study seeks to explore the academic literacy development of 24 non-English major students in an 8-week-long integrated English class at a Chinese university from late 2022 to early 2023. Based on a production-oriented approach (POA) action research design, this study follows the typical framework of driving, enabling, and assessing phases to chain together the teaching and learning actions. Quantitative data from questionnaires were analyzed via SPSS software, whereas thematic analysis and content analysis were adopted in examining the qualitative data including classroom observations, teacher reflection journals, and semi-structured interviews. Based on our data analysis, this study finds that POA can have a positive effect on improving students' participation, performance, and task completion, which improves their academic literacies. Implications on how POA helps in facilitating EFL students' academic literacies development are discussed along with the acquisition model and future research directions like students' identity issues and teachers' perceptions of pedagogical approaches in teaching academic literacy within university settings.

Academic literacy development and professional identity construction in non-native English-speaking novice English language teachers.

Studies examining students' academic literacy development have received increasing attention in the past two decades, with exponential growth in the literature since 2010. Despite this, there have been relatively few empirical studies on novice teachers' academic literacy learning process and the construction of teachers' professional identities. To address this issue, this study employed a longitudinal narrative inquiry to trace and evaluate the professional identity construction of two Chinese novice language teachers as they developed academic literacy in their master's and doctoral programs in the United States. The study adopted a Community of Practice (CoP) framework and drew upon various data sources, such as both novice teachers' coursework, reflection journals, statements of teaching philosophy, and other supplementary documents, to evaluate how each participant was socially engaged (or disengaged) in a new language education community and how they developed professional identities as language teachers in this process. The findings indicate that the pedagogical knowledge and theories acquired by both participants during their graduate studies informed their teaching methods and promoted their development of a researcher-teacher identity. In addition, the longitudinal data allowed for tracking changes in both participants' self-efficacy and emotions. While the stories of both novice teachers described the evolution of their teaching beliefs throughout their graduate studies, their narratives also highlighted a lack of micropolitical literacy training at the graduate level. This study contributes to our understanding of the connection between academic literacy development and the formation of teacher professional identity by shedding light on novice language teachers with a non-native English-speaking background. The implications for future research are also provided.

Academic Research Network Management: Sociocultural Perspectives from Languages Other Than English

ABSTRACT Academic research networks (ARNs) play an increasingly important role in supporting academics’ research productivity and career development. Research on ARN management has investigated issues related to publishing in English and/or in local languages in different disciplinary and geographic contexts; nevertheless, how lecturers of foreign languages (other than English) in non-western countries manage their multilingual ARNs is under-researched. Employing interview data with 53 Chinese scholars of foreign languages (Japanese, Korean, and Russian) at 10 universities, we examine the types of ARNs they engage with, the roles these play in the research writing and publication process, and their individual agency in network management. Our findings underscore the vital role of ARNs as a form of social capital in research writing and publication, and the situated sociocultural and disciplinary-sensitive nature of ARN management. We identify implications for institutions with respect to local-language academic literacy development and publishing in languages other than English.

Privatised Academic Writing: Reflections on Access, Knowledge, and Policy

This dialogue responds to Neculai (2018) and argues for the need to recognise the character of academic literacies development and the policies governing that development as always emergent. It also reflects on the contributions that all, including students, make toward that development through their written work, as opposed to accepting the treatment of academic literacies development as a commodity to which access is given.

The comprehension of ellipsis in isiXhosa-speaking Grade 1 learners

Ellipsis occurs on and above sentence level, forming a part of the discourse-internal linguistic devices that children need to access and comprehend narratives and other classroom discourse for literacy and academic literacy development A dearth exists in the knowledge about the development and mastery of ellipsis in child language, specifically for speakers of African languages regarding both first and second language acquisition timetables and contexts. This study aimed to ascertain how well Grade 1 isiXhosa first language (L1) learners,with isiXhosa as their language of learning and teaching (LOLT) compared to other Grade 1 isiXhosa L1 learners with English as their LOLT; while evaluating if gaps exist in the possible mastery and development of ellipsis with regard to the LOLT. The isiXhosa LOLT group mastered both noun and verb ellipsis by time 2, while the English LOLT group showed no mastery by time 2; although statistically significant development occurred between time 1 and 2 for the English LOLT group. A statistically significant difference is apparent in the comparison between the isiXhosa and English LOLT groups for both times and ellipsis types, which points to a lack of comprehension of ellipsis in a non-mother tongue LOLT, which may impact future literacy development.

Academic word coverage and language difficulty of reading passages in College English Test and Test of English for Academic Purposes in China.

The field of English for Specific Purposes (ESP) has gained considerable attention, mainly due to the growing importance of English teaching and the need for preparing international professionals. The primary academic emphasis of this field is largely centered on the study of English for Academic Purposes (EAP). It has become increasingly important for China to provide EAP education to its vast population of college students, who represent a significant proportion of global tertiary-level English learners. By doing so, they can improve their academic literacy and participate more effectively in international academic communication. In 2016, China's College English Test Examination Board issued the National College English Test Syllabus which emphasized the importance of academic English literacy in the test design. This syllabus was released during a contentious debate among Chinese academics about the role of EAP in college English teaching and testing. Despite this heated discussion, there are currently few studies that have analyzed the linguistic nature of academic English tests in a quantitative manner. This paper calculates the academic word coverage of the reading passages in two crucial English proficiency tests designed for college students in China, the College English Test (CET) and the Test of English for Academic Purposes (TEAP). It is found that the academic word coverage of CET is increasing from the year 2013 to 2021 and that the academic word coverage of TEAP is slightly higher than that of CET. In this sense, these English tests can meet the requirements for measuring Chinese college students' academic literacy. It is also found that there is a positive correlation between academic word coverage and language difficulty as is indicated by Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level. These findings provide an empirical reference for the study of academic English tests in China, and other parts of the world, and contribute to EAP teaching and testing reform for the development of students' academic literacy.

Building a risky-safe-space: Using reflective pedagogies and values to support writing development in work based learning

The concepts of ‘graduateness’ and graduate attributes became contested terrain before COVID-19 destabilised even the most assured of shared learning constructions. Indeed, for those of us immersed in the delivery of work-based learning (WBL), this has long been the case. Promotion of reductive notions of ‘skills’ acquisition to comply neatly with an employability agenda holds little relevance for those students already engaged in full time careers, and with a wealth of professional experience. What can hold influence and interest, however, is the opportunity to engage in meaningful, agentic, professionally-aligned reflective practices as a scaffolded route to promoting self-awareness and developing confidence in mapping competences from the professional domain to the academic (and vice versa). This paper shares an account of taking an embedded approach to supporting the development of academic literacies amongst work-based learners in one UK HEI. In particular, it will consider the use of reflective pedagogical tools and values in supporting work-based learners to become confident and adaptable writers. Discussion considers how work-based pedagogies and approaches may have far-reaching relevance in a post-pandemic landscape, where reskilling and professional agility are likely to become more prolific aspects of education and work. Writing itself is framed as an integrated communication practice that encompasses literature retrieval, reading, evaluation, synthesis and articulation of argument. The paper will describe pre-pandemic academic support activities and share qualitative survey data in which students consider their confidence as both professional and academic writers. It concludes with consideration of how some of the approaches outlined may have relevance for the wider academic community.

The Politics of Integration: The Opportunities, Challenges and Successes of Embedding Academic Skills and Literacies Development into an Interdisciplinary, ‘Integrated’ Foundation Year Programme

Foundation Years (FY) have proliferated within UK Higher Education in recent years, and their benefits and successes have been well documented (e.g. the enhancement of opportunities for underrepresented students, second-chance education, skills and confidence enhancement, and a pipeline into STEM. However, when managed centrally, their implementation can be a contentious site of interdisciplinary unease and ‘mutual suspicion’ and as much as a fruitful avenue for innovative collaboration. One of the key issues is the question of how to embed academic skills / literacies development within a meaningful, ‘integrated’, interdisciplinary context effectively whilst utilising expertise from both academic departments and learning development / skills teams, and thus navigating disparate disciplinary agendas, communities of practice and strategic priorities. This paper reports on how this complex terrain was navigated at Royal Holloway, University of London, to successfully embed academic skills (using Universal Design for Learning pedagogy) into an academically authentic, inclusive, interdisciplinary ‘Global Perspectives and Academic Practice’ unit that facilitated student integration into academic departments. Whilst we report on how the programme led to higher than sector average attainment, retention and progression (the EE described it as a ‘TEF Gold offering’), we critically analyse the challenges of embedding and aligning such provision within the communities of practice of a research-intensive institution. Throughout, we suggest ways forward at both practical and strategic levels to ensure the immense potential of integrated academic literacies development within FYs can be realised.

Grammatical complexity: Insights from English for academic purposes teachers

While grammatical complexity has received much attention in the past decades, little research has yet sought the insights of second language (L2) writing teachers who are on the front line of educating academic writers. Given that teachers’ understanding of the representation of complex grammatical structures may impact their students’ development of academic literacy, this study explored L2 teachers’ perception of grammatical complexity. Twenty English for Academic Purposes (EAP) teachers (N = 20) in a Chinese university evaluated a set of five texts including varying grammatical characteristics. Using their ratings and notes as stimuli, we conducted a consecutive stimulated recall with each teacher to elicit their rationales for judging the texts on grammatical complexity. The findings indicated that, in evaluating grammatical complexity, EAP teachers not only considered lexico-grammatical features, but also deliberated over the propositional complexity, coherence, and formality. Also, while cognizant of the importance of features associated with phrasal complexity, EAP teachers seemed to have overestimated the significance of subordination and underestimated the role of non-finite dependent structures in academic prose. Implications were discussed in terms of teacher training and further theorizing grammatical complexity.