Writing within the disciplines: an exploratory study of writing in graduate pathway programs and the shifting role of the English for Academic Purposes curriculum

ABSTRACT

This research explored the nature of writing assignments within disciplinary graduate courses taken by international students while they are in a graduate pathway program. This research also examined how writing tasks in these courses vary across disciplines and looked at how the pathway EAP curriculum supports graduate students’ writing needs. The analysis of 102 syllabi from 89 courses in 12 graduate pathway programs yielded a total of 14 categories of writing assignments. Findings demonstrated that exercises, reports, and course projects/research papers are commonly assigned tasks within physical science pathways such as engineering, whereas critiques and reflections were common in human science pathways such as education. More variations in writing assignments were found in the human science disciplinary group. The analysis of six pathway EAP curricula suggests that graduate pathway students gain vital academic skills that are imperative in academic settings regardless of discipline. However, specialized written tasks that are discipline-specific, in particular to physical sciences, were absent from the EAP curriculum. This study offers implications for the design and revision of pathway EAP.

KEYWORDS:

• Writing within the disciplines
• graduate pathway programs
• EAP

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Eman Elturki

Eman Elturki holds a Ph.D. in Language, Literacy, and Technology from Washington State University and a master’s degree in TESOL from the University of Southern California. At Washington State Univeristy, Elturki taught in the academic English and pathway programs and held administrative positions related to curriculum, assessment, and accreditation. Currently, Elturki teaches academic English in the English Language Studies program at College of DuPage in Illinois. Elturki’s research interests include exploring second language development and pedagogies and second language learners' success in higher education.