"Conform, Transform, or Resist": Scholarly Academic Writing Advice Versus Graduate Student Needs

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session 6
  In Roundtable Session: The Graduate Student Experience

Abstract

Academic writing skills and appropriate academic writing advice are essential for graduate student success. However, questions remain about the quality and relevance of such advice and whether academic writing advice has a role in maintaining colonial education systems or in broadening access to completed graduate degrees. The current research uses lenses of Academic Literacies (Lea & Street, 1998; 2014) and Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy (Paris, 2012; Paris & Alim, 2014) to explore academic writing advice texts and compare scholarly advice with graduate students’ academic writing advice needs. Results indicate varying qualities of academic writing advice texts, areas of mismatch between scholarly advice and graduate student needs, and limited recognition of Culturally Sustaining Pedagogical approaches to academic writing in graduate contexts.

Authors

• Karen Julien, Brock University

• Vera E. Woloshyn, Brock University