scholarly journals International Postgraduate Students’ Perception of Challenges in Academic Writing in Malaysian Public Universities

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (7) ◽  
pp. 191
Author(s):  
Sedigheh Shakib Kotamjani ◽  
Arshad Abd Samad ◽  
Mehrnaz Fahimirad
Keyword(s):  
Academic Writing ◽  
Public Universities ◽  
Academic Language ◽  
Writing Skills ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
English For Academic Purposes ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Postgraduate Students ◽  
English Medium Instruction ◽  
Lexical Phrases

The purpose of this study is to investigate international postgraduate students’ perceptions of difficulty with academic writing in Malaysian public universities. A survey was used to collect students’ perceptions of difficulties and challenges in general academic writing skills and language-related skills. The results revealed that students perceived greater difficulty in language-related problems than general academic writing skills. In terms of language-related skills, they ranked writing coherent paragraph, summarizing and paraphrasing, applying appropriate lexical phrases, utilizing proper academic language and vocabulary respectively as the most difficult areas in writing. However, with respect to general academic writing skills, they perceived the most difficulties in reviewing and criticizing the literature, writing introduction and research gap. The results of this study implied that international postgraduate students who graduated from non-English medium instruction universities should be supported in terms of English for Academic Purposes (EAP), critical thinking skills and language-related skills to become self-directed in learning to write.

scholarly journals International Postgraduate Student’s Challenges in Academic Writing in Malaysian Public Universities

2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sedigheh Sahkib Kotamjani
Keyword(s):  
Academic Writing ◽  
Positive Attitude ◽  
Public Universities ◽  
Home Country ◽  
Demographic Data ◽  
Writing Skills ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Computer Assisted ◽  
Postgraduate Students ◽  
English Medium Instruction

The purpose of this study is to investigate International postgraduate perceptions of difficulty with academic writing in Malaysian public universities. This research employed survey and semi-structured interview to collect data. A survey was used to collect demographic data and students’ perceptions of difficulties in general writing and language-related skills. The results revealed that students had a positive attitude towards academic writing; however, they were not well-prepared in terms of academic writing skills in their home country. Moreover, students perceived greater difficulty with language related problems than general writing skills.  This study implied that international postgraduate students who graduated from non-English medium instruction universities should be supported in terms of general writing and language related skills through computer-assisted writing instruction to be autonomous writers.

scholarly journals "I can't say it any better": Critical reading as a threshold concept in helping postgraduate Arab students become critical and original writers

2013 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Radhika Iyer-O'Sullivan
Keyword(s):  
Academic Writing ◽  
Writing Skills ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Student Writing ◽  
Critical Reading ◽  
Critical Thought ◽  
Postgraduate Students ◽  
Critical Writing ◽  
Learning And Teaching ◽  
Threshold Concept

Many studies on plagiarism issues across the globe have arrived at the consensus that in dealing with plagiarism, universities need to do more than provide students with policies and procedures. Education, via academic support classes, has been touted as the way forward in teaching students to develop academic writing skills and avoid plagiarism. Teaching postgraduate students to produce academic writing that is analytical while retaining their individual expression has been a challenge at the British University in Dubai (BUiD). Most of the students at the university come from mainly Arab educational backgrounds. This could mean that their education may not have been in English but more importantly, that they may also have been entrenched in different learning and teaching styles. Previously encouraged to rely on restating exactly what they have read may contribute to students' inability to express critical thought through their writing. Based on analysis of students' critical writing through faculty feedback, samples of student writing and Turnitin reports, this paper seeks to demonstrate that teaching critical reading skills as a threshold concept that translates into critical thinking skills will help students adopt a different approach to reading, which will subsequently help develop critical writing skills. This paper will show how pedagogy was developed to enable students to read critically and produce coherent and thoughtful critical writing while retaining academic integrity.

scholarly journals The Use of Contrastive Discourse Markers by English-major Saudi Female Undergraduates at Qassim University in Academic Writing

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 51
Author(s):  
Rehab Hassan Al-Owayid
Keyword(s):  
Academic Writing ◽  
Writing Skills ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Discourse Markers ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Test Analysis ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
Contrastive Discourse Markers ◽  
English Major

Academic writing requires a skillful use of markers and linguistic features. The purpose of this quantitative study was to examine the efficacy of a one-time intervention on the use of contrastive discourse markers (CDMs) by Saudi female English major undergraduates. The present study also surveyed the opinions of writing skills instructors about CDM instruction and investigated factors that may affect the use of CDMs by undergraduates. A convenience sample of 100 students was selected from Levels 6 and 8: fifty students of each were recruited from the Colleges of Arts and Sciences in Buraydah and Onayzah cities, Saudi Arabia. Pre- and post-tests were used to collect data from student participants. Data from teacher-participants were also gathered through a questionnaire. Results of t-test analysis support the hypothesis of the significant impact of the intervention on the mean scores of the intervention group, M = 10.90 vs. M = 6.24, t(98) = 12.03, p < 0.0001. There were no significant differences by grade level. The writing skills teachers reported that the knowledge of the different meanings of CDMs affects students' use of the markers. Factors such as the inadequate practice of critical thinking skills, the types of writing tasks, and reading-writing connection may influence students' use of CDMs. The results suggest that the knowledge of CDMs and the different meanings that they signal can improve learners to perform better.

scholarly journals The Integration of Creative Writing into Academic Writing Skills in EFL Classes

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
ESMA SENEL
Keyword(s):  
Creative Writing ◽  
Academic Writing ◽  
Writing Skills ◽  
Cognitive Strategies ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Problem Solving Skills ◽  
Final Exams ◽  
Post Test

Writing is regarded as the most challenging task and the most difficult language skill among EFL students. Students need to employ different cognitive strategies in order to convey the meaning to the reader. Due to the complexity of the process, students display negative attitudes towards writing and the level of success is low. This study investigates B2 level creative writing and its impact on the success level of students in academic writing. The study included 15 students, 10 of them are females (%66,7) and 5 of them are males (%33,3). The t-test results obtained from midterm and final exams indicate that students’ success level improves in academic writing skills. Participants’ pretest and post test results revealed that creative writing help them develop critical thinking skills and when SCAMPER method is used, students’ problem solving skills are promoted

scholarly journals Analisis Kemampuan Berpikir Kritis dan Kebiasaan Membaca Untuk Bekal Menulis Karya Ilmiah

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
SEPTIAN REFVINDA ARGIANDINI
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Research Method ◽  
Writing Skills ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Qualitative Description ◽  
Learning Activity ◽  
Major Influence ◽  
Reading Habits ◽  
Scientific Papers

ABSTRACTCritical thinking skills and writing habits must continue to be taught in each learning activity to maximize the abilities or competencies of students. This reading habit is also very necessary to add students' insights and knowledge before writing scientific papers. With these two components, it can be the first step towards making a good scientific paper. so the purpose of this study was to determine the direct effect of critical thinking skills and reading habits on student writing skills. The research method in this study is a qualitative description of the research method by providing an explanation in the form of a description based on data from various scientific references. With this method the researcher can explain in detail and be arranged how the influence of reading habits and the ability to think critically on the ability to write scientific works of students. Based on data and scientific references collected, analyzed, and studied, the following results were obtained: (1) students 'scientific scientific skills were positively influenced by the level of students' reading habits; (2) the ability to think critically has a direct positive effect on students' scientific writing skills. Thus, the better or higher the interest in reading students and their critical thinking skills, the better the ability to write scientific papers. From the results of this study it can also be seen that the habits of reading and the ability to think critically students are interconnected and have a major influence on the skills of writing scientific papers.Keywords: Reading Habits, Thinking, Critical, Scientific Work,ABSTRAKKemampuan berfikir kfritis dan kebiasaan menulis harus terus diajarkan pada setiap kegiatan pembelajaran untuk memaksimalkan kemampuan atau kompetensi yang dimiliki mahasiwa. Kebiasan memabaca ini juga sangat diperlukan untuk menambah wawasan dan pengetahuan mahasaiwa sebelum menulis karya ilmiah. Dengan kedua komponen ini, dapat menjadi langakah awal untuk membuat karya tulis ilmiah yang bagus. sehingga tujuan penelitian ini untuk mengetahui pengaruh langsung kemampuan berpikir kritis dan kebiasaan membaca terhadap keterampilan menulis mahasiswa. Metode penelitian dalam penelitian ini adalah deskripsi kualitatif yaitu metode riset dengan memberikan penjelasan berupa deskripsi berdasarkan data dari berbagai referensi ilmiah. Dengan metode ini peneliti dapat menjelaskan secara rinci dan tersusun bagaimana pengaruh kebiasaan membaca dan kemampuan berfikir kritis terhadap kemampuan menulis karya ilmiah mahasaiswa. Berdasarkan data dan referensi ilmiah yang dikumpulkan, dianalisis, dan dikaji, didapatkan hasil sebagai berikut: (1) keterampilan me¬nu¬lis ilmiah mahasiswa secara positif dipengaruhi tingkat kebiasaan membaca mahasiswa; (2) kemampuan ber¬pikir kritis berpengaruh positif lang¬sung terhadap keterampilan menulis il¬mi¬ah mahasiswa. Dengan demikian, semakin baik atau semakin tinggi minat baca mahasiswa dan kemampuan berpikir kritisnya, maka semakin baik pula kemampuan menulis karya tulis ilmiahnya. Dari hasil penelitian ini juga dapat diketahui bahwa kebiasan membaca dan kemamouan berfikir kritis mahasiswa saling berhubungan dan berpengaruh besar terhadap keterampilan menulis karya ilmiah. Kata Kunci: Kebiasaan Membaca, Berfikir, Kritis, Karya Ilmiah,

The Use of Study Partner in the Manifestation of Science and Language Skills

2014 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
BERNARDO C. LUNAR
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Significant Contribution ◽  
Language Skills ◽  
Writing Skills ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Human Anatomy ◽  
Anatomy And Physiology ◽  
Human Anatomy And Physiology ◽  
Study Partner

A Study Guide was tailored to the students of De La Salle and was used as Study Partner. This employs the inquiry- based instruction through the 5 E’s of science lesson: Engage, Explore, Explain, Extend and Evaluate. The descriptive method of research was used in the study to determine the efficacy of the useof Study Partner in the manifestation of science and language skills among the respondents and its relationship to the grade of the students. Results showed that the use of the Study Partner in Human Anatomy and Physiology had been contributory to the enhancement of the language and science skills of the students. The use of the Study Partner had developed a process, reasoning and the critical thinking skills of the students as well as the reading and writing skills. A significant contribution is in the development of the critical thinking skills in science and the reading and writing skills in the language area. The process skills and the critical thinking skills developed were also found to have significant contribution to the final grade of the students in Human Anatomy and Physiology. Keywords - Education, efficacy, science skills, language skills, study guide, study partnerdescriptive design, De La Salle Lipa, Philippines

scholarly journals Teaching Teachers To Think: Reflective Journaling As A Strategy To Enhance Students Understanding And Practice Of Academic Writing

2010 ◽  
Vol 7 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
Danielle Watson
Keyword(s):  
Critical Thinking ◽  
Academic Writing ◽  
Learning Process ◽  
Writing Process ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
Critical Thinking Skills ◽  
Effective Strategy ◽  
Reflective Journaling ◽  
Reflective Journal ◽  
Factors Influencing

The value of reflective journaling as an effective strategy to enhance learning has been explored by several writers. Many see it as a way of approaching learning to enhance the understanding of factors influencing or hindering the learning process and the development of meaning through critical thinking skills. The underlying purpose of the study is to explore the possibility of introducing the reflective journal into the teaching of academic writing as a strategy to improve students’ understanding of the different expository methods employed as part of the writing process.

scholarly journals ENGLISH FOR ACADEMIC PURPOSES: KEEPING UP WITH THE TIMES

2020 ◽  
pp. 40-57
Author(s):  
Olga Ilchenko ◽  
Natalia Kramar
Keyword(s):  
Writing Instruction ◽  
Academic Writing ◽  
English Language ◽  
Language Education ◽  
Thinking Skills ◽  
English For Academic Purposes ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Academic Publishing ◽  
Lingua Franca ◽  
Methodological Principles

English language education, especially in light of the status of English as present-day lingua franca, has become a prolific field of research, and no less prolific area of practical application internationally. Through a critical literature review, the current study addresses one of its most prominent subfields – English for Academic Purposes – with special emphasis on academic writing. We briefly touch upon its evolution and identify the terminological ambiguities involved in EAP conceptualization within the broader framework of ESP (English for Specific Purposes). By examining the changes that academic English is undergoing today due to the overwhelming influence of L2 speakers’ varieties (termed “similects” by Anna Mauranen), we elucidate how English as a Lingua Franca movement can benefit and enrich EAP pedagogic practice. We also discuss how EAP fits within the latest CEFR guidelines, paying close attention to mediating skills, critical thinking and integrative thinking skills, which, as we argue, need to be more extensively incorporated into academic writing instruction. We discuss the rationale and the methodological principles of English for Research Publication Purposes as a new offshoot of EAP, which combines genre-based instruction with the exploration of multiple non-linguistic issues, involved in academic publishing, such as interaction with editors and gatekeepers, choosing a suitable journal, navigating the review process. We hope to demonstrate that EAP teaching, and especially academic writing instruction, is in need of major revision to overcome the yawning gap that currently exists between theory and practice.

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