Challenges in academic writing: conceptions and experiences of graduate students from six disciplinary fields

Abstract

Situated conceptions about literacy influence attitudes and processes involved in higher education writing; understanding conceptions better can inform effective academic literacy initiatives. However, contrasting studies of students’ conceptions in different disciplinary domains are still uncommon. This study aims to qualitatively and quantitatively analyze the conceptions and experiences of 180 graduates from six disciplinary areas of a public, metropolitan and highly selective university in Chile. Results show that university students are required to write sophisticated, situated and challenging genres that are central for academic attainment, and that students have complex conceptions of writing as a rhetorical activity, but also as an overly schooling and individual activity lacking explicit instruction. These results reinforce the need—and the opportunity—to promote writing teaching initiatives across the curriculum and across educational stages.