Researching contexts, practices and pedagogies in English for academic purposes / Lia Blaj-Ward.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Blaj-Ward, Lia, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Academic writing.

Physical Description:

xi, 204 pages ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

Basingstoke : Palgrave Macmillan, 2014.

Summary:

Researching Contexts, Practices and Pedagogies in English for Academic Purposes draws on the existing academic knowledge base and on current professional debates in order to inspire further research in the EAP field. It offers decision-makers in a range of EAP contexts guidelines on how to commission and evaluate research and how to implement findings to enhance EAP provision. Paying particular attention to the positionality of researchers and the purpose for which they are conducting or commissioning research, the volume looks in turn at options for exploring the wider context in which EAP provision is embedded: needs analyses, materials development and syllabus design, student learning, professional development of staff in EAP, and quality assurance of EAP provision. The book provides overviews of studies to use as key points of reference when engaging in or with EAP research, as well as hypothetical research project vignettes that offer readers opportunities for methodological reflection. Book jacket.

Contents:

1 Introduction 1

1.1 Beginning a journey... 1

1.2 Mapping the EAP field: teaching practice and research 5

1.3 The nature of EAP research 6

1.4 Routes for developing research capacity 8

1.5 Dissemination and contexts 10

1.6 Annotated bibliography 15

2 Researching the HE Context Outside the EAP Classroom 20

2.1 Points of departure for research into higher education 20

2.2 Disciplines, disciplinarity, teaching and learning 24

2.2.1 Improving what Business students learn at university 26

2.2.2 Students' perceptions, expectations and experiences of learning and teaching in Art and Design 28

2.2.3 Assessment feedback and employability in Science and Technology 31

2.3 Academic writing and assessment 34

2.4 Technology and higher education 39

2.5 Professional services in higher education institutions 43

2.6 Exploring dimensions of internationalisation in the higher education context to frame and contextualise EAP research 48

2.7 Closing section 53

3 Researching EAP Materials and Course Design 56

3.1 Introduction 56

3.2 Scenarios 57

3.3 Target needs analysis for materials and course design: principles and methodologies for exploring academic discourse 57

3.4 Case studies: needs analysis in practice 65

3.5 Research into EAP materials development and use 69

3.6 EAP and technology 75

3.7 Scenarios revisited 80

3.8 Some methodological considerations for research and sustainable curriculum design 83

4 Researching Student Participation in the EAP Setting 86

4.1 Introduction 86

4.2 Students at the centre of the needs analysis process 86

4.3 Student engagement with materials and activities in the EAP classroom 92

4.4 Exploring critical thinking and reading in EAP 95

4.5 A broader view of students' experience of studying abroad 98

4.6 Student performance and EAP assessment 103

4.7 Student perceptions of the design and quality of EAP provision 107

4.8 Closing section 111

5 Researching Tutor Participation in the EAP Learning Context 113

5.1 Researching tutor participation in the EAP learning context: what and why? 113

5.2 Exploring EAP tutors' professional beliefs and knowledge 114

5.3 Teacher talk and classroom language in the EAP context 119

5.4 Tutor involvement in feedback and assessment in the EAP context 124

5.5 Peer observation and staff development in EAP 127

5.6 Management and leadership in EAP 133

5.7 Reflections on choice of methodologies and methods and ethical constraints 137

5.8 Implications of research for policy, strategic planning and resource allocation 142

6 Exploring the Quality, Relevance and Impact of EAP 145

6.1 The meanings of quality in higher education 145

6.2 Quality assurance frameworks 146

6.3 Student satisfaction surveys, institutional responses and alternatives to survey data 150

6.4 Some additional research into quality assurance 155

6.5 Evaluating EAP provision 161

6.6 Quality assurance and enhancement in practice 166

6.7 Closing section 172

7 Conclusions 175.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9781137331861

1137331860

OCLC:

883462336