Aitchison, Claire

Catterall, Janice

Rolls, Nicola

English

Research Online

Presentation Title | 00 Month 2010 | Slide 1           Critical Intersections: the 12th Biennial Conference of the Association for Academic Language and Learning, University of Wollongong 25-27th November 2015  Influences on the development of tertiary academic writing in international students: teaching to the unknown Claire Aitchison Janice Catterall Nicola Rolls Presentation Title | 00 Month 2010 | Slide 2 • Small study carried out in an Australian university which is a relative ‘newcomer’ to the international student scene. Entry is IELTS 6 for UG and 6.5 for PG. • The study sought to test the hypothesis that there is a mismatch between these students’ prior academic literacies practices and what is required of them on arrival in Australian university degree programs Context Presentation Title | 00 Month 2010 | Slide 3 1. Small case study  • Focus: 12 IS from ISC (Nepal, India, Bangladesh)  in Business degree programs – 7x UG x 5 PG  2. Data collection •  Short survey and in-depth interviews/focus groups (to gather student experiences) • Subject outlines (to assess AL requirements)  3.  Analysis • Constant comparison coding and textual analysis  4. Main focus: • Assessment literacies and writing         The Study Presentation Title | 00 Month 2010 | Slide 4  • Academic literacies frame influenced by Bourdieu’s notions of field, habitus and capital (Wingate, 2012; Thomas, 2002; Bourdieu, 1984 ) sympathetic to our concerns to investigate students’ prior experiences of learning plus their home familial/ educational contexts Theoretical Framing Presentation Title | 00 Month 2010 | Slide 5 We triangulated  • Interviews/focus groups (student prior educational experiences • Survey data (student home country familial and schooling demographics • Document analysis (Australian degree assessment tasks)  Method Presentation Title | 00 Month 2010 | Slide 6 1. Assessment  2. Academic writing  3. Academic reading   Findings  Presentation Title | 00 Month 2010 | Slide 7 Findings: Assessment – Home Country Dominant mode of assessment / AL = rote learning and accurate reproduction  Assessment experiences (Writing)  Prevalence out of 12 Summative: Exam as only measure of learning 10 Formative: some had experience of ad hoc testing in class  10 No continuous assessment 10 No take home writing assessment tasks 10 Presentation Title | 00 Month 2010 | Slide 8  • “Here we don’t know what to do in our assignments” (PG)  • “Here, when I find things on the internet, I can’t match with assignment questions” (UG)  • “I thought my English was satisfactory but now I know not enough [ to do assignment tasks]  (UG) Findings: Assessment – Comparing home country and Australia Presentation Title | 00 Month 2010 | Slide 9 • Limited experiences of extended writing “assignments were to learn from the chapter” • Predominately descriptive “ you can’t make own ideas" • Limited sources of information, therefore less opportunities for learning to synthesis and integrate references “expected to write straight from book”  • No research, paraphrasing, in text citation or referencing “no research, no referencing” • “Nothing about plagiarism – never heard of it ” Findings: Writing in home country Presentation Title | 00 Month 2010 | Slide 10 • Purpose of reading was to read and memorise the information in preparation for testing • Comparatively little reading.  Reading from the textbook and handouts in class • Where additional sources were required “cut and paste google was norm with the list of links at the end of document” (PG)  • Reading matter prescribed “no internet ever” (UG) • Immediate access to teacher explanation in the first language Findings: Reading and information literacy in home country Presentation Title | 00 Month 2010 | Slide 11 1. IS as workers, housekeepers AND students “…we did not have to work, no part-time job, I never cooked. The student’s job was to study.” 2.   Pace of life  “Here, no time. Everyone’s running not walking” 3. Familial and cultural life “Never was alone” “Family supported me”  Influences beyond the classroom Presentation Title | 00 Month 2010 | Slide 12  • Familial high regard for education • Experience in examination genres • Expertise in memorising and recall • Strong community of practice/culture of helping peers • Persistence  and resilience   Student strengths Presentation Title | 00 Month 2010 | Slide 13 Assessment Word Count Week Due Percentage Field Visit Report 750-1000 Week 5 10% Research Essay 2,500 Week 8 20% Case Study 2,000 Week 12 20% Exam TBA Week 14 50% Sample Unit XXX Assessment schedule: Undergraduate/ First semester Presentation Title | 00 Month 2010 | Slide 14 • Knowledge of a wide range of assessment genres •  Ability to find and integrate 6-15 scholarly references • Use of appropriate disciplinary academic language • ‘Original’ ideas – no plagiarism • Authoritative voice or stance and argumentation  and evidence • Use of correct presentation and citation style Specified AL requirements for first year success Presentation Title | 00 Month 2010 | Slide 15 Most students in this study have had; • Limited opportunities to practise  extended writing in English • Little experience with assessment genres (and as social/disciplinary practices rather than skills) • Limited knowledge of the set of linguistic capabilities or moves required to paraphrase or to make and support claims or develop authorial voice Complications for second language writing Presentation Title | 00 Month 2010 | Slide 16 • Small sample • Findings cannot be generalised to other settings or student cohorts Limitations Presentation Title | 00 Month 2010 | Slide 17 • Class may impact on academic success of IS cohort in ways similar to other Australian studies that have focused on low SES students  • Attributes and habits that were part of a student’s prior success may not be valued in the same way by institutions   “ I had glorious results [at home]” (UG failed 6/8  subjects in first year) Conclusion Presentation Title | 00 Month 2010 | Slide 18  The first move must be made by institutions:  • to identify students’ prior educational experiences and the AL strengths/capabilities they bring  • implement teaching and learning practices that recognise, respond and build on the prior experiences of the students that they admit.   We argue: Presentation Title | 00 Month 2010 | Slide 19 Birrell, B. (2006). Implications of low English standards among overseas students at Australian  universities. People and Place, 14(4), 53-64.  Bourdieu, P. (1977). Outline of a theory of practice (R. Nice, Trans.). Cambridge: Cambridge  University Press. Bourdieu, P. (1984). Distinction: A social critique of the judgement of taste (R. Nice, Trans.).  London: Routledge and Kegan Paul Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR). (2009). Good practice  principles for English language proficiency for international students in Australian  universities. Canberra, Australia: Commonwealth of Australia. Retrieved from: http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/127066/20110826-0004/www.auqa.edu.au/files/otherpublications/good%20practice%20principles%20for%20english%20language%20proficiency%20report.pdf  Department of Education and Training (DET). (2014). Final Proposed Higher education  standards framework (threshold standards). Retrieved from http://docs.education.gov.au/system/files/doc/other/finalproposedhesframework-advicetominister.pdf Degrees of Deception - Four Corners - ABC  www.abc.net.au/4corners/stories/2015/04/20/4217741.htm     Reference List Presentation Title | 00 Month 2010 | Slide 20 McKay, J., & Devlin, M. (2014). ‘Uni has a different language … to the real world’:  demystifying academic culture and discourse for students from low  socioeconomic backgrounds. Higher Education Research &amp;  Development, 33(5), 949-961. doi:10.1080/07294360.2014.890570  Kift, S. M., & Moody, K. E. (2009). Harnessing assessment and feedback in the first  year to support learning success, engagement and retention. Thomas, L. (2002). Student retention in higher education: the role of institutional  habitus. Journal of education policy, 17(4), 423-442.  doi:10.1080/02680930210140257 Wingate, U. (2012). Using Academic Literacies and genre-based models for  academic writing instruction: A ‘literacy’ journey. Journal of English for  Academic Purposes, 11(1), 26-37.  doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jeap.2011.11.006   Reference List 

Influences on the development of tertiary academic writing in international students: teaching to the unknown

https://ro.uow.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1024&amp;context=aall2015

Influences on the development of tertiary academic writing in international students: teaching to the unknown

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