A comparative study of academic literacy in English medium instruction programs in UAE and Finland

Document Type

Article

Source of Publication

Issues in Educational Research

Publication Date

4-4-2021

Abstract

Graduate students in English medium instruction (EMI) programs face challenges with academic literacy, the fundamental tool for thesis writing. Therefore, this paper investigates the promotion of academic literacy from the perspective of curricula. Aligning with Tardy’s (2009) genre knowledge theory and its four genre knowledges necessary for developing academic literacy, this comparative study adopts a socio-cultural position of learning by utilising the knowledges as analytical lenses to explore and compare the documents of two masters programs in the UAE and Finland. Iterative theory and data-driven coding revealed that for both curricula, the intended learning outcomes address these four genre knowledges. However, tacit assumptions of two genre knowledges and possible culture shock concerning the transition from didactic learning to substantial independent study may be barriers for students in EMI settings. In addition, bridging the gap between English language entry requirements and learning outcomes, and fostering community learning environments may better facilitate the realisation of students’ full potential.

ISSN

0313-7155

Publisher

Western Australian Institute for Educational Research Inc.

Volume

31

First Page

56

Last Page

75

Disciplines

Education

Scopus ID

85104158007

Indexed in Scopus

yes

Open Access

yes

Open Access Type

Bronze: This publication is openly available on the publisher’s website but without an open license

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