THE LANDSCAPE OF ACADEMIC WRITING RESEARCH IN SRI LANKAN HIGHER EDUCATION

Abstract

Academic writing in English is significant in Sri Lanka's higher education landscape, particularly with the widespread adoption of English Medium Instruction across many universities. As English is both a second language and a medium of academic discourse, students are often expected to engage in complex writing tasks such as essays, reports, and research papers despite varying levels of language proficiency. This desk research investigates the gaps in academic writing (AW) among undergraduates in Sri Lankan higher education by analysing four accessible, full-paper scholarly articles. This desk research study aimed to identify the existing gaps and suggest evidence-based approaches for enhancing academic writing among undergraduates in Sri Lanka. The content analysis was utilised to analyse the selected articles. The present study identifies several key challenges, including students' limited English proficiency, a lack of explicit instruction in effective writing strategies, curriculum deficiencies, insufficient teacher training in AW pedagogy, and a prevalent misunderstanding of academic literacy among stakeholders in English Medium Degree Programmes. Furthermore, the analysis reveals that while explicit strategy instruction shows potential, systemic issues such as inadequate curriculum design, teacher preparedness, and a limited understanding of academic literacy hinder the development of proficient AW skills. Based on these findings, the paper proposes several evidence-based recommendations. These include integrating systematic writing strategy instruction, leveraging online resources, providing targeted grammar and vocabulary support, adopting process-based writing approaches, utilising authentic academic texts, fostering a shared understanding of academic literacy, establishing clear English proficiency benchmarks, investing in continuous professional development for lecturers, and promoting collaboration between language and subject instructors. Addressing these gaps and implementing the suggested approaches are crucial for enhancing undergraduates' AW skills and ensuring their academic success in Sri Lankan universities.