Academic Writing Research Articles

Exploring undergraduate students’ difficulties in EFL academic writing

This study aims to explore undergraduate students’ difficulties and how they cope with difficulties in EFL academic writing. Despite much research revealing the difficulties of undergraduate students in academic writing, relatively few studies implied academic writing difficulties in the higher education context. To fill this gap, this present study focused on exploring EFL students’ difficulties and how they cope with the difficulties in terms of lexical difficulties, grammar and punctuation, avoiding plagiarism, and text structure. This study used a qualitative approach with a phenomenological case study design. Three undergraduate students were recruited as participants for this study. The data were collected through interview sessions employing open-ended questions adopting a three series of interviews by Seidman (2013) consisting of thirteen questions. The result showed similarities and differences in difficulties and the ways to cope with it. The result of this research is expected to support the lecturer to consider the students’ difficulties and their ways to cope with the difficulties where it can be applied in academic writing subject. Moreover, the difficulty in academic writing is important for students to examine the effective ways to cope with difficulties to become better academic writers. Keywords: Undergraduate students; Academic writing; Academic writing difficulties

Analyzing Academic English Writing Needs of Natural Sciences Researchers

Analyzing Academic English Writing Needs of Natural Sciences Researchers

EFL Student Teachers and Lecturers’ Challenges and Strategies to Avoid Plagiarism in Academic Writing Class

EFL Student Teachers and Lecturers’ Challenges and Strategies to Avoid Plagiarism in Academic Writing Class

Informal Language in Academic Writing Analysis of Social Sciences PhD Dissertations in Pakistan

Informal Language in Academic Writing Analysis of Social Sciences PhD Dissertations in Pakistan

Exploring EFL Students’ Perspectives: Integrating Mind Mapping as a Cognitive Tool in Academic Writing Class

Exploring EFL Students’ Perspectives: Integrating Mind Mapping as a Cognitive Tool in Academic Writing Class

Learning Sustainability: Post-Graduate Students’ Perceptions on the Use of Social Media Platforms to Enhance Academic Writing

Academic writing is a vital element in any post-graduate study. Therefore, it is crucial to harness all the tools and capabilities available to serve this purpose. These capabilities include the digital tools that characterize the current era. This paper aims to explore post-graduate students’ perceptions of the use of social media platforms to enhance academic writing during the COVID-19 pandemic who are enrolled in the Master of Educational Technology in our institution, Saudi Arabia. The study followed a qualitative research methodology and used semi-structured interviews with ten students to gather data. Thematic analysis was applied. The results showed that post-graduate students value the role of the use of social media platforms in enhancing their academic writing. The findings also showed the advantages, disadvantages, and obstacles of the use of social media platforms in enhancing their academic writing. The implications of this study can inform post-graduate supervisors to reconsider the benefits of social media platforms as high-value communication tools in enhancing the skills of academic writing. Thus, they may adopt, employ, and blend them with traditional methods of communication in their efforts to develop their students’ academic writing skills. Using social media platforms for learning academic writing during the COVID-19 pandemic may mirror the fourth goal of sustainable development. The implications of the study over post-pandemic postgraduate education have been discussed.

Creating a Self-Access Academic Writing Centre at a Trilingual University: What Have We Learned in the First Three Years?

The Centre for Academic Writing at the trilingual (German–Italian–English) Free University of Bozen-Bolzano was created in 2021 as a means of supporting student writing at the institution and for carrying out research in academic writing and communication in plurilingual contexts. It offers a number of self-access services, specifically credit-bearing courses, writing groups, and a Helpdesk service. This paper provides an outline of these services, discussing challenges encountered, how they have been addressed and how the services have evolved as a result. It offers a particular focus on the Helpdesk service, with an analysis of the kinds of queries most commonly received from the students. The data suggests that students most frequently access the helpdesks having received negative feedback from a supervisor on their writing, and most generally have queries relating to structure and citations, with linguistic issues rarely addressed.

Online Paraphrasing Tools in Language Learning: Students’ Perceptions to Overcome the Difficulties in Academic Writing

Online Paraphrasing Tools in Language Learning: Students’ Perceptions to Overcome the Difficulties in Academic Writing

Exploring the Influence of the Project-Based Learning Strategy on G9 Students' Motivation to Learn Academic Writing in a Beijing International School

This study investigates the impact of project-based learning (PBL) strategies on high school students' motivation to learn academic writing. Employing a mixed-methods approach, the research spanned two weeks. Quantitative data was collected using. Kempler's (2006) adaptation of the Internal Motivation Measurement Survey. Qualitative data was gathered through an open-ended questionnaire exploring intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, and self-efficacy components. Descriptive analyses were conducted on motivation and self-efficacy measures. The findings revealed a lack of motivation among students in their traditional academic writing class, suggesting a need for pedagogical change to enhance student engagement. Additionally, interviews and classroom observations highlighted the importance of careful design and planning when implementing PBL strategies in an academic writing course.

Assessing Academic Writing Challenges facing Undergraduate Students at Teofilo Kisanji University in Mbeya Region, Tanzania

This paper investigated the academic writing challenges facing undergraduate students at Teofilo Kisanji University (TEKU) in Mbeya Region. This study used Qualitative research approach and the interpretivist paradigm. Data were collected through semi-structured open ended interview and documentary analysis methods. Data were analyzed through content analysis method to obtain themes. Twenty participants formed a sample for research in the following categories educational officers, lecturers, teachers, and undergraduate students. Findings revealed that undergraduate students mostly fail to write academic papers at higher learning institutions despite having good teachers at the university. It was found that educational institutions in Ordinary and Advanced Secondary Schools failed to provide students with good basis for academic writing due to various factors, such as incompetent teachers, inadequate working environments, improper education qualifications, lack of creativity of teachers, lack of knowledge on the use of technology and the dilemma in academic instructional language. The study found that most undergraduate students failed to write academically due to poor foundation from lower levels of education. It was therefore recommended that, strengthening academic writing for students in lower-level institutions the government should review the educational curriculum to focus entirely on competence-based teaching methods.

Investigating Best Practices in Academic Writing: Suggestions for Argumentative Essay Writing Instructions

Investigating Best Practices in Academic Writing: Suggestions for Argumentative Essay Writing Instructions

Challenges and Attitude in Academic Writing: Basis for an Intervention Plan

Writing is an indispensable means of communication that facilitates expression and creativity. This study sought to ascertain the students’ demographic profile, evaluate the extent of writing challenges and attitudes toward writing, identify any significant relationships between the three variables, and identify the demographic profile that influences the students' attitude toward writing either independently or in association. The respondents were the one hundred fifty (150) Grade 11 Senior High School students from the Southwest II District Division of Cagayan de Oro City for the School Year 2022 – 2023. The instrument was adapted and modified from the study of Khadawardi (2022). The data collection and statistical processing were done using the weighted mean, correlation, Pearson Product Moment Correlation, and regression analysis. The results showed that the level of writing challenges in terms of content, mechanics, and organization is Highly Challenged and their level of attitude towards writing is High. There is a significant relationship between the demographic profile, writing challenges, and attitude towards writing. Age has a significant influence on students’ attitudes towards writing. Thus, students’ perceived writing challenges are correlated to their attitudes and age. Teachers and administrators need to implement the interventions recommended in this study like helping them to organize their thoughts and ideas.

Demystifying the Discourse: Techniques to Effective Academic Writing

Academic writing is a distinct style of communication with its own set of conventions and purposes. It goes beyond simply expressing personal opinions to engaging in a scholarly conversation, critically analysing existing knowledge, and presenting well-reasoned arguments supported by evidence. This paper aims to unpack the often-opaque world of academic writing, presenting a toolbox of techniques for writers to craft clear and impactful texts. Drawing on genre theory developed by Miller (1984), the study will analyse common academic writing structures and the rhetorical moves employed within them. Genre theory offers a valuable framework for untangling the complexities of academic writing. Using a critical literature review methodology, the paper will synthesize existing research on effective academic writing strategies. This analysis will identify key elements such as establishing context, presenting arguments, and integrating sources. The paper is designed to be accessible to a broad audience, providing writers with the tools and frameworks necessary to not only understand academic writing but also to confidently participate in scholarly conversations.

Self-efficacy and Metacognition as the Mediated Effects of Growth Mindset on Academic Writing Performance

Background: Various studies have highlighted the theoretical roles of growth mindset, self-efficacy, and metacognition in academic writing. However, the clarity regarding which variables act as mediators in this context remains underexplored. Purpose: This study investigates how self-efficacy and metacognition mediate the effects of a growth mindset on academic writing performance among EFL students. It aims to clarify the mediating roles of these variables, directing the development of four research hypotheses and a conceptual model. Method: The study employed a structural equation modelling (SEM) method using the PLS-SEM analysis. Participants included 464 EFL undergraduate students from 28 provinces in Indonesia, who were working on their theses. They completed a series of valid and reliable scales online. Results: Analysis revealed that growth mindset significantly influences self-efficacy for ideation and metacognition. Further, self-efficacy in ideation, convention, and self-regulation, along with metacognition, effectively mediated the relationship between growth mindset and academic writing performance. Conclusion: The findings suggest that growth mindset significantly impacts academic writing performance through its influence on self-efficacy and metacognition. This underscores the importance of these mediators in enhancing academic writing competence. Consequently, EFL writing lecturers and thesis supervisors should focus on interventions that strengthen these attributes. Future research should continue to explore effective strategies to enhance metacognition and self-efficacy, thereby contributing to the broader field of EFL education.

A Scoping Review of Research on English Academic Writing for Chinese Graduate Students

Based on 16 studies on Chinese graduate students' English academic writing, this paper summarizes the current research trends in China from the aspect of research methods and content. After combing and summarizing, it is found that: (1) most relevant researches in China have adopted three forms of research methods, which are: questionnaire survey or interview survey, classroom observation and text analysis. (2) currently, challenges in the English academic writing process for Chinese graduate students primarily revolve around inappropriate language usage and insufficient writing skills. (3) The solutions proposed at present mainly include improving students' writing ability in practical exercises, implementing new teaching models and introducing new teaching methods. It is helpful to find and summarize the problems existing in the current English academic writing courses in China, as well as the difficulties existing in the process of English academic writing for Chinese graduate students, so as to help them improve their English academic writing ability.

Codeswitching in Facebook Statuses of College Students and their Grammatical Ability in Academic Writing

Codeswitching in Facebook Statuses of College Students and their Grammatical Ability in Academic Writing

Exploring the Complexities of L2 English Academic Writing

L2 English academic writing, now a well-established field of study, incorporates a large number of interrelated issues from the perspectives of context, participants, process and textual realisation, informing various instructional models of English for academic purposes in university contexts globally. This paper looks at a number of major theoretical traditions and relevant research findings focusing on the characteristics of academic texts, writers, readers and the writing process, and shows how each tradition has inspired the development of particular approaches to teaching L2 English academic writing. Textual features are discussed from the points of view of genre and register analysis, and contextual features are looked at in terms of individual novice L2 writer characteristics, including writing strategies, the relationship between L1 and L2 academic writing, and the cultural background of writers. Related instructional models include product-, process-, and genre-based approaches whose operationalisations are closely linked to particular theoretical traditions. The paper argues that the pedagogical considerations stemming from different theoretical backgrounds and empirical research results can complement each other in a useful way leading to a more comprehensive pedagogical approach, and that the application of a well-informed, carefully selected and carefully sequenced combination of teaching techniques and accompanying materials can contribute to the successful development of L2 English academic writing skills.

“Between use and abuse”? Anglicisms in Academic Writing in Romania. Case Study: the EXPRES Corpus

“Between use and abuse”? Anglicisms in Academic Writing in Romania. Case Study: the EXPRES Corpus

Impact of ChatGPT on the Academic Writing Quality of Senior High School Students

Impact of ChatGPT on the Academic Writing Quality of Senior High School Students

Empowering and Optimising Postgraduate Research: An In-Depth Exploration of the Impact of Writing Camps on Academic Writing Skills and Self-Efficacy

Empowering and Optimising Postgraduate Research: An In-Depth Exploration of the Impact of Writing Camps on Academic Writing Skills and Self-Efficacy