Aug 2026· International Journal of Language and Literary Studies· 0 citations· 23 references
Abstract
Writing development constitutes an essential component of academic success in higher education, as students are expected to demonstrate increasing control over organisation, grammar, vocabulary, coherence, and mechanics throughout their academic careers. Yet, understanding how writing develops remains a complex issue. The present study aims to investigate the development of writing with special reference to Moroccan university undergraduate students. One hundred and twenty-three university students from Sultan Moulay Slimane University in Morocco participated in the current study. A mixed-methods design was adopted, combining students’ questionnaire responses and analysis of actual written texts. The questionnaire explored students’ perceptions and writing-related practices, whereas the written letters were analysed both quantitatively and qualitatively, particularly in terms of several writing dimensions. The findings indicated both similarities and differences were observed across several dimensions, suggesting that writing may not develop across academic levels. While certain aspects appeared to show improvement, others remained relatively stable or uneven across second-year and third-year students. The study contributes to the understanding of writing development in Moroccan higher education and highlights the need for instructional practices that support sustained writing improvement across academic levels.
In recent decades, writing development and audience awareness have received increased attention in education settings. Yet, the challenges faced by Moroccan university students in writing development and audience awareness have not yet closely investigated in the context of Moroccan Higher education. To address these gaps, the present study examines the challenges encountered by Moroccan university students in developing their writing and addressing audience awareness as perceived by both students and teachers. A total number of one hundred and twenty-three university students and eight professors from Sultan Moulay Slimane university in Morocco participated in the current study. Quantitative data were collected by completing a questionnaire, while qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews. The participants consisted of second-year and third-year students. The participants expressed their perceptions and described their experiences with the challenges related to writing development and audience awareness. The findings reveal that students experience difficulties in developing both linguistic and rhetorical features of writing. The study also indicates that writing instruction in the university context does not adequately emphasize writing development and audience consideration in writing. It highlights the need for pedagogical practices that help overcome the challenges, enhance writing, and integrate audience-focused writing tasks in the classroom.
Widad Elfiraoui· Journal of English language...· 0 citations
This study investigated the academic writing proficiency and publication-related challenges of EFL graduate students from three state universities in the southern region of Sumatra, Indonesia. The study employed a quantitative descriptive design involving 84 graduate students enrolled in the Master's Program in English Education. Data were collected through an academic writing proficiency test and a Likert-scale questionnaire and were analyzed using descriptive statistics. The findings revealed that the students’ academic writing proficiency was generally at a moderate level, with mean scores of 67.51, 77.38, and 77.00 across the three universities. The questionnaire results indicated that students encountered considerable challenges in publication-oriented academic writing, particularly in grammar, paraphrasing, analytical writing, coherence development, citation and referencing practices, and identifying reputable journals for publication. Grammatical difficulties emerged as the most dominant challenge across the three universities. In addition, the students demonstrated weaknesses in applying APA 7th citation conventions, evaluating academic sources, and constructing analytical arguments and developing research novelty. These findings suggest a mismatch between the increasing institutional expectations for scholarly publication and graduate students’ actual readiness for publication-oriented writing. The study concludes that success in academic publication requires not only English proficiency but also rhetorical competence, critical thinking skills, and publication literacy. Therefore, universities should strengthen academic writing instruction and provide structured support in paraphrasing, analytical writing, citation management, and scholarly publication practices to better prepare graduate students for academic publishing.
E. Eryansyah, R. Inderawati, I. Petrus et al.· World Journal of English Lan...· 0 citations
Background and Purpose: Writing proficiency is a fundamental component of academic success, particularly in higher education. However, many college students continue to struggle with developing effective writing skills. This study aimed to design and validate a set of discrete writing tasks specifically tailored for Filipino college students in Southern Philippines and to evaluate their effectiveness in improving students’ writing proficiency. The study sought to assess the tasks' content validity, examine their clarity and relevance, and measure their impact on student performance.
Methodology: A Design-Based Research (DBR) framework guided the study, comprising two key phases: the Development Phase and the Experimental Phase. In the Development Phase, the discrete writing tasks were subjected to expert validation by five subject matter experts, focusing on quality and clarity. In the Experimental Phase, 30 students were randomly assigned to either the experimental group (n=15) or the control group (n=15). Writing proficiency was measured using an essay-type test evaluated with a rubric adapted from the IELTS Writing Test 2023 version. The Content Validity Index (CVI) was used to assess task quality. Descriptive statistics (means and standard deviations) were calculated, and inferential analyses, including the t-test and Multivariate Analysis of Covariance (MANCOVA), were applied to determine significant differences between groups.
Findings: The discrete-task intervention significantly improved students' writing proficiency. The experimental group achieved "Very Good to Expert Level" post-test mean scores across all dimensions: content (M = 4.77), coherence/cohesion (M = 4.79), lexical resource (M = 4.53), grammatical range (M = 4.23), and mechanics (M = 4.54). Conversely, the control group’s mean scores ranged from 2.62 to 3.69 ("Limited to Modest" and "Competent to Good" levels). While a paired-samples t-test showed significant pretest-to-posttest improvement for the control group (p = .002), an independent-samples t-test revealed a statistically significant difference in gain scores favoring the experimental group, t(28) = 16.345, p < .001. Significant differences spanned all writing sub-skills with large effect sizes (η² > .80), particularly in lexical resource, grammatical range, and mechanics, demonstrating the substantial positive impact of the discrete-task intervention.
Contributions: This study provides empirical evidence supporting the use of discrete, well-designed writing tasks as an instructional strategy for improving college students' writing skills. The validated task set can serve as a pedagogical resource for writing instruction in higher education. Future research may explore the integration of digital platforms to further support task implementation and learner engagement.
Keywords: Discrete tasks, intervention, writing proficiency, writing task validation.
Cite as: Aranego, R. B., Tulud, D. M., Verona, M. O., Gabano-Magbanua, G. B., Dollente, L. A. U., Resurreccion, M. A., De Guzman, E. L. T., Uyangurin, A. B., & Estilloso, E. M. (2026). Design and validation of discrete writing tasks to enhance the writing proficiency of college students in southern Philippines. Journal of Nusantara Studies, 11(2), 262-277. http://dx.doi.org/10.24200/jonus.vol11iss2pp262-277
Reynaldo B. Aranego, Donnie M. Tulud, Mirasol O Verona et al.· Journal of Nusantara Studies...· 0 citations
This study investigated students' and teachers' perspectives on English academic writing in an English Education Department of an Islamic State College in Indonesia, with a particular focus on a supplementary Literature Review (LR) course. Employing a classroom-based action research design, the study involved fifteen EFL undergraduate students (all female) in their seventh semester of study. Data were collected through questionnaires administered at the beginning and end of the LR course, supplemented by semi-structured interviews with five students and four teachers. Questionnaire data were analysed using descriptive statistics, while interview data were analysed thematically to identify recurring patterns. Findings revealed that students held largely positive attitudes towards English academic writing in terms of interest and enjoyment; however, they demonstrated a marked lack of confidence in their writing ability. Lexicogrammar, particularly grammar and vocabulary, emerged as the most frequently identified area of weakness, while affective factors such as motivation were more commonly cited as strengths than actual writing skills. Both students and teachers identified the absence of explicit genre instruction, particularly regarding the literature review genre, as a significant curriculum gap. It is recommended that explicit, genre-focused instruction be introduced earlier in the curriculum to develop students' genre knowledge and confidence in academic writing.
Nur Afifi· IJELTAL (Indonesian Journal...· 0 citations
Good communication and academic writing is essential to success in higher education. This study focuses on the use of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) to develop Academic Writing abilities, and to facilitate effective communication among students in the university. This study was descriptive using quantitative method involving sample size of 200 of under- and post- graduate students from higher education institutions. Descriptive and inferential statistical techniques were used to analyse the data obtained by using a structured questionnaire. The results showed that 82% of students showed the understanding of the CDA concepts and 79% of respondents were very good at their academic writing skills in aspects like organising, coherence and referencing. About 83% of these respondents reported their good performance in communicating in academic contexts, and this shows that discourse awareness is playing an important role in making it possible to be effectively communicated by expressing it clearly and convincingly. Additionally, the findings revealed that 88% of students agreed that CDA helped them improve their critical thinking skills, 84% of students stated that CDA helped them with the construction of arguments, and 82% of students indicated that CDA helped them become more effective communicators. Strong positive correlation was found, respectively, between academic writing and CDA awareness (r = 0.81) and between communication effectiveness and CDA awareness (r = 0.84) through the correlation analysis. The study also revealed 83% of the respondents used AI and digital writing tools to assist in academic writing practices. A difficulty with critical analysis, vocabulary building and/or constructing a statement with an argument, however, persisted with many students. The results indicated that teaching students academic writing skills using the Critical Discourse Analysis approach is very conducive to enhancing students' analytical skills, academic writing skills, and communication skills. Through the study, it is concluded that the discourse-based pedagogical method applied together with digital technologies that are used judiciously can support academic literacy and be effective in communication in higher education environments.
Application writing and continuation writing are two predominant task types in senior high school English writing instruction, yet empirical evidence regarding performance differences and their interrelationship remains insufficient. This study analysed the mid-term examination writing samples of 90 Grade 10 students from a high school in Sichuan Province. Employing descriptive statistics, paired-sample t-tests and Pearson correlation analysis, it examined the distribution characteristics, significance of differences and correlations between the two types of scores. Results indicated that application writing scores were concentrated with limited discriminability, whilst continuation writing scores were highly dispersed; the score rate for application writing was significantly higher than that for continuation writing, with the difference reaching statistical significance (p<0.001); the correlation coefficient between the two types was extremely low, indicating no significant linear relationship. The findings suggest that application writing emphasises format reproduction and information transmission, whereas continuation writing involves integrated reading comprehension, creative conception and logical coherence, representing different levels of cognitive processing. Pedagogical implications including differentiated instruction, scaffolding and diversified assessment are proposed.
Yujia Kang· Education and Social Work· 0 citations
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