Academic writing technique: the influence of stenography on students’ academic performance in higher education

Abstract

The use of stenography writing has in the recent past been faced with challenges about how, where, and when it is appropriate to be used in the teaching and learning process. The main objective of the study is to determine whether stenography writing has any major impact on the writing ability of students and their academic performance. The study adopted a mixed method design, guided by survey questionnaires and WhatsApp focus group interviews. The study included 50 undergraduate students from 1^st to final-year who visited an academic writing Centre between 2017 and 2019 and were selected through cluster sampling. The presentation of findings is descriptive in nature and was analysed using SPSS and thematic analysis. Findings reveal that stenography writing can easily corrupt the writing ability of students, as well as result in the misconception and misinterpretation of ideas. On a positive note, however, it can facilitate the teaching and learning process by easing the flow of communication and subsequently enhancing student learning outcomes.

Keywords:

• Academic writing
• stenography
• shorthand writing
• communication
• teaching & learning
• Academic performance
• Writing ability
• Higher education
• Writing centre

Reviewing Editor:

• Arif H Kabir, School of Education, Deakin University School of Education, Australia

Subjects:

• Communication Technology; Teaching Methodology & Practice; Classroom Practice; Teaching & Learning; Curriculum Studies; Teaching Performance; Language & Communication; Creative Writing

Acknowledgement

We acknowledge the participating students who went the extra mile to ensure that the necessary focus group interviews took place under unusual circumstances like WhatsApp chat and video calls. We also acknowledge Dr Ufuoma Ejoke for her assistance in the data analysis process.

Disclosure statement

The authors have no financial or personal interest relating to this manuscript to disclose.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Hennades T. Tabe

Hennades T. Tabe holds a PhD in Education Management/Leadership with over 10 years of experience in Higher education teaching and research supervision. Before his current position as a Post Doctoral Research Fellow with the University of Johannesburg, He served as a sub-contractor with the Department of Education in administering the Systemic Evaluation across provinces in South Africa. He was a contract lecturer and academic writing consultant respectively at the North-West University of South Africa for over seven years. He is a peer reviewer at different journals and organisations including the Canadian Society for the Study of Higher Education (CSSHE) and Perspectives in Education (PE). Moreover, He is a member of the South African Education Research Association (SAERA) and the Golden Key International Honours. His research area of interest includes Teaching and Learning at both Higher and secondary education with emphasis on teacher education and learner performance, School governance and administration.

Ellen K. Materechera

Dr Ellen K. Materechera has been working as a senior academic advisor and a writing centre coordinator at North-West University, South Africa. Her current research interest includes inclusive education, teaching and learning in higher education with a focus on student academic development.