Student preparedness for academic writing : an evaluation of the perceptions of preparedness for academic writing of school leavers taking English 178 at Stellenbosch University

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Student Preparedness for Academic Writing examines perceptions of student preparednessfor academic writing in the first-year literary studies course, English 178, located in theEnglish Department at Stellenbosch University. The research was conducted during 2011 and2012 making use of a survey which was completed by the 2011 first-year English 178 class,and also utilising a series of interviews with students, tutors and lecturers in 2012.Preparedness for English 178 is framed in terms of Pierre Bourdieu's notion of sociallyconstructed habitus. In addition to the thought of Bourdieu the thesis draws on the writings ofPeter Elbow, Arlene Archer and Pamela Nichols, among others, to analyse and frame thequantitative and qualitative information yielded by the study.The dissertation assesses multiple interlocking elements that comprise studentpreparedness and finds striking discrepancy between student perception of their preparednessand that of the lecturers and tutors. While tutors, lecturers and the report of the NationalBenchmark Test all suggest that at least half of all first-year students are poorly prepared foracademic writing, only about 21% of students perceive themselves to be poorly prepared.Possible reasons for the difference in views between students and other sources are explored.The thesis concludes by asking if the English 178 course at Stellenbosch University trulytests the students' academic writing abilities and if the course is balancing its 'obligations tostudents [with the]… obligation[s] to knowledge and society (Elbow 327).

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University