Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Student Preparedness for Academic Writing examines perceptions of student preparedness
for academic writing in the first-year literary studies course, English 178, located in the
English Department at Stellenbosch University. The research was conducted during 2011 and
2012 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 socially
constructed habitus. In addition to the thought of Bourdieu the thesis draws on the writings of
Peter Elbow, Arlene Archer and Pamela Nichols, among others, to analyse and frame the
quantitative and qualitative information yielded by the study.
The dissertation assesses multiple interlocking elements that comprise student
preparedness and finds striking discrepancy between student perception of their preparedness
and that of the lecturers and tutors. While tutors, lecturers and the report of the National
Benchmark Test all suggest that at least half of all first-year students are poorly prepared for
academic 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 truly
tests the students’ academic writing abilities and if the course is balancing its “obligations to
students [with the]… obligation[s] to knowledge and society” (Elbow 327). / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie verhandeling ondersoek persepsies van studentevoorbereidheid vir
akademiese skryf in die eerstejaars-letterkundekursus, Engels 178, gesetel in die Departement
Engels aan die Universiteit Stellenbosch. Die navorsing is gedurende 2011 en 2012 gedoen
deur gebruik te maak van ’n vraelys wat deur 2011 se Engels 178-eerstejaarsklas voltooi is,
asook van ’n reeks onderhoude met studente, tutors en lektore in 2012. In hierdie
verhandeling word voorbereidheid vir Engels 178 in terme van Pierre Bourdieu se konsep
van sosiaal gekonstrueerde habitus beskryf. Benewens Bourdieu se denke word daar ook na
die werke van onder andere Peter Elbow, Arlene Archer en Pamela Nichols verwys om die
kwalitatiewe en kwantitatiewe inligting wat uit die studie voortgekom het, te ontleed en te
situeer.
Die verhandeling assesseer die veelvuldige ineengeskakelde elemente wat
studentevoorbereidheid omvat, en bevind ’n opvallende teenstrydigheid tussen studente se
persepsie van hulle eie voorbereidheid en lektore en tutors se persepsie van studente se
voorbereidheid. Terwyl tutors en lektore se ervaring en die Nasionale Normtoetsverslag alles
daarop wys dat ten minste die helfte van alle eerstejaarstudente swak voorbereid is vir
akademiese skryf, beskou slegs ongeveer 21% van studente hulself as swak voorbereid.
Moontlike redes vir die verskil in beskouings tussen studente en ander bronne word
ondersoek. Die verhandeling sluit af met die vraag of die Engels 178-kursus aan die
Universiteit Stellenbosch werklik studente se akademiese skryfvaardighede toets, en of die
kursus wel ’n ewewig handhaaf tussen verpligtinge teenoor studente en ’n
verantwoordelikheid teenoor kennis en die samelewing (Elbow 327).
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/80193 |
| Date | 03 1900 |
| Creators | Allardice, Seamus Rory |
| Contributors | Viljoen, Shaun C., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of English. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | vi, 357 p. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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