Strategies for successful academic writing — Institutional and non-institutional support for students

SummaryBackground ts develop better academic writing skills as they progress through their higher education programme, but despite recent continuing monitoring of student satisfaction with their education in UK, there has been relatively little research into studentsʹ perceptions of the active support that they need and receive to succeed as academic writers. the study mine the strategies that university students on health or social care courses utilise to develop as writers in the face of many pressures and demands from different sources. ch method used ative research conducted at a British University into undergraduatesʹ writing practices in the field of healthcare. Ten participants took part in semi-structured interviews, half of whom were international students. The data was analysed by the researchers from the field of writing development using thematic analysis. s in findings are that certain students struggle as academic writers if they do not receive tuition on appropriate and effective academic writing through institutional provisions, or through non-institutional strategies, that can promote success with the writing process. There is also uncertainty over the extent to which nurse educators are expected to teach academic writing skills, alongside their discipline-specific subject areas. sions nstitutional provisions for academic writing development, such as a dedicated writing support department, and non-institutional factors such as peer-collaboration should be fully recognised, supported and resourced in tertiary education at a time when studentsʹ satisfaction and performance are high on the agenda.