Academic writing competence: A study of first- and fourth-year University of Technology students.
Nkhobo, Tlatso Ishmael
Nkhobo, Tlatso Ishmael
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Abstract
The researcher conducted an investigation of the academic essay writing competence of first- and fourth-year undergraduate Language Practice English Second Language (ESL) students at a University of Technology in Gauteng. The combined New Literacies Studies (NLS) theories underpin the study as theoretical lens. The social context and the influence of teachers have become increasingly important, since they have to adapt educational programmes to meet the needs of the students in a forever changing and technologically driven environment. Academic language, as part of literacy development, is also affected by the social and digital context. A mixed-methods approach comprising both quantitative and qualitative methods was used. This study comprises a population of twenty-four participants. The latter embraced; eight first-year students (three males and five females) and sixteen fourth-year students (five males and eleven females). The participants involved were selected through convenience sampling. In addition, this study used two data elicitation devices to collect data from the participants viz.: document analysis (two academic essay writing tasks), and questionnaires including both open-ended and closed questions. Data collected were analysed as part of error analysis using thematic and content analysis. The research findings indicate that the level of the academic essay writing competence of the majority of the first-year students is low. In contrast, the level of the academic essay writing competence of the fourth-year students is considered to have improved significantly. The study further reveals that new literacies such as technologies impact the writing of students in both a positive as well as negative way.
Description
Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree Magister Technologiae: Language practice in the Department of Applied Languages Faculty of Humanities.
Date
2016-01-01
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Tshwane University of Technology
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Keywords
Academic, Writing, Literacy, Teaching, Essay, Process, Product, Approach, Models, Teaching, Error, Analysis, Technology