Exploring Pedagogic and Practical Intersections of Academic Writing Support for Students in Higher Education

Abstract

This case study explores undergraduate and postgraduate student perceptions of the nature and effectiveness of academic writing provision and practice in a university in Ireland. Its focus isthe Academic Writing Centre (AWC), a university-wide initiative to support all students. It discusses students’ perceptions as to the academic writing support provided at the AWC and students’ preferred writing strategies. The research design used a qualitative approach to gather data on students’ perceptions of the academic writing support received at one-to-one consultations. Data was gathered via a student survey (n=21) sent to all students who avail of the AWC’s one-to-one support. Findings indicate that students value support strategies that address the affective domain and reflection and feedback to support them develop as academic writers. The results help consolidate the AWC’s current role to academic writing support and inform the future development of the Centre.