Exploring ESL students’ experiences of academic writing in higher education- a cultural historical activity theory perspective

Figures & data

Figure 1. Cultural Historical Activity Theory (CHAT) (Adapted from Engeström, 1987)

Figure 2. Skill areas where universities need more focus

Note: Source: Asian Development Bank (2019)

Table 1. Bangladeshi ESL students’ experiences of academic writing: A top-down coding protocol.

Subject	Bangladeshi ESL learners’ contradictions with academic writing in HE
Tools	Discipline-specific writing skills development	Instruments – writing workshops, tutorials, one-to-one sessions, formative feedbacks, writing samples, academic vocabulary lists, e-teaching aids, technology assisted writing tools (e.g. Grammarly, EasyBib, REF-N-WRITE)
Rules	Clear guidelines for writing	Student handbook Detailed assignment briefs
	Rubrics	Criteria, writing and editing checklists, citation styles
Community	Teaching staffs	Lectures, tutorials, workshops, seminars, demonstration
	Peer support	Group assignments
	Academic support staffs	Library Writing centre
Division of labour	Teaching academic writing conventions across disciplines (e.g. written assignment, opinion paper, term paper, terminal exam essays, literature review, annotated bibliography, research paper, technical report, statistical summary, business case report, lab report, senior thesis, grant writing, PowerPoint presentation of written report, etc.)	Responsibilities of academic staffs, writing centres and library
Object/Goal/Outcome	Developing academic writing across various disciplinary domains

Figure 3. Conceptualization of Bangladeshi ESL students’ experiences & engagement with academic writing (Adapted from Engeström, 1987)

Figure 4. Reenvisioning academic writing practices in a Bangladeshi ESL context – mediations at the macro, meso and micro level

Engeström, Y. (1987). Learning by expanding: An activity-theoretical approach to developmental research. Helsinki: Orienta-Konsultit.

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Asian Development Bank. (2019). Bangladesh: Computer and software engineering tertiary education in 2018. Available from

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