TOPIC 1. WHY IS ACADEMIC WRITING IMPORTANT FOR STUDENTS IN HIGHER EDUCATION?
INTRODUCTION
A. Learning Objectives:
After completing this session, students are expected to be able to:
- Explain the importance of academic writing in higher education.
- Identify challenges commonly encountered when reading academic journal articles.
- Select relevant journal articles based on topic alignment.
- Develop exploratory interview questions related to scientific article writing practices.
B. Skill Focus of This Unit
This unit develops students’ academic writing competencies progressively, beginning with foundational understanding and moving toward higher-level academic inquiry skills.
C. Micro Skills Developed
In this unit, students are trained to:
- recognize the purpose and characteristics of academic writing in higher education,
- identify structural and linguistic challenges in academic journal articles,
- analyze rhetorical features and key components of research texts,
- apply criteria to evaluate the relevance and credibility of scholarly sources.
These micro skills strengthen students’ reading awareness, analytical ability, and critical engagement with academic texts.
D. Macro Skills Developed
Through these foundational abilities, students gradually develop the ability to:
- critically interpret academic discourse within disciplinary contexts,
- engage with scholarly literature in a purposeful and selective manner,
- design exploratory interview questions that reflect an understanding of scientific writing practices.
These macro skills prepare students for deeper inquiry, research-based discussion, and the development of their own academic writing projects.
BRAINSTORMING
A. Academic Writing
Academic writing is an essential requirement for any college student, particularly in Indonesia, where writing and publishing scientific articles have become prerequisites for obtaining academic degrees. The mandate for academic publications was specified in Circular Letter No. 152/E/T/2012 from the Director General of Higher Education, highlighting the need for bachelor, master, and doctoral students to publish their research as part of their graduation requirements. This emphasis on publication is reinforced by policies such as Permenristekdikti No. 20 Tahun 2017, where the Indonesian government encourages universities to increase both the quantity and quality of scientific publications. These policies aim to elevate both the quantity and quality of research publications, contributing to global knowledge and enhancing Indonesia’s academic reputation. Additionally, academics in Indonesian higher education must conduct research and publish their findings in national and international journals, as these outputs are often used to measure institutional quality and academic reputation. This indicates that academic writing is inevitable for tertiary education students as they have to make research papers which require them to integrate other people’s works as references into their own papers. Therefore, some basic rules are used as a guideline to produce a good product of academic writing. At the tertiary education level, students’ success in academic writing is determined by their ability to comprehend and use others’ ideas to voice their own opinion.
However, even though academic writing is important it poses challenges. Several studies have explored the challenges and pedagogical approaches related to academic writing in Indonesian higher education. Bram and Angelina (2022) investigated the difficulties faced by tertiary education students in academic writing and proposed solutions to overcome them. Their study, which surveyed 26 students from Sanata Dharma University, revealed common setbacks such as issues with parts of speech, tenses, vocabulary, cohesion, and referencing. They suggested that lecturers should be equipped with various writing strategies, and students should enhance their organizational skills, critical thinking, and referencing abilities. Similarly, Aunurrahman et. al. (2017) investigated the academic writing competencies of first-year tertiary EFL students, particularly focusing on critical thinking. The study analyzed students’ argumentative writing using functional grammar based on systemic functional linguistics. Findings revealed that students across different proficiency levels struggled with schematic structure and linguistic features of academic writing, with limited critical thinking capacity. The research suggested that explicit teaching and cooperative learning activities should be incorporated to enhance students’ academic writing and critical thinking skills.
These challenges are often caused by traditional teaching approaches that fail to engage students or adequately support their skill development (Nugrahini & Rakhmawati, 2022). One such approach that has received considerable criticism is the product approach. This approach has several limitations. First, it can hinder creativity because it relies heavily on imitating model texts. Critics argue that this method prevents students from thinking critically and writing creatively, as they mainly replicate and reproduce existing texts (Li, 2007). This indicates that the instructional models commonly used in higher education have not always effectively addressed the challenges students face. Therefore, there is a need for innovative teaching approaches that not only engage students but also enhance their writing skills.
B. QuiryThink Learning Model: An Innovative Solution for Academic Writing Challenges
In most Indonesian universities, academic writing has traditionally been taught using a lecture based approach, product approach and process approach. These models frequently fail to engage students in critical thinking and creativity, which are essential for effective academic writing. In the realm of academic writing instruction, existing models have been critiqued for various limitations. While traditional approaches to writing instruction vary, lecture-based models remain dominant in Indonesian higher education. These courses primarily focus on theoretical explanations of grammar, sentence structure, and paragraph organization, with minimal opportunities for students to apply their knowledge through iterative feedback (Hyland, 2003). As a result, students often become passive recipients rather than active participants in their learning. This suggests that many existing models lack contextual relevance and fail to engage students in meaningful learning experiences. Thus, the need for innovative and effective teaching models are required to enhance students’ learning experiences. This necessity highlights the urgency of developing instructional models that help students improve their writing proficiency and their critical thinking. Addressing this gap, Inquiry-Based Learning (IBL) emerges as a promising framework, as it actively engages students in exploration, investigation, and critical reflection. Unlike conventional teaching approaches, IBL places students at the center of learning by encouraging them to develop questions, gather information, and construct knowledge through analysis and synthesis.
IBL is one of the most effective models for implementation in teaching, particularly in fostering student engagement, problem-solving abilities, and higher-order thinking skills. (Avsec & Kocijancic, 2014; Gholam, 2019). According to Ghufron and Ermawati (2018), IBL trains students’ thinking skills in solving problems and directs them to become independent learners through a series of activities. The activities include five stages proposed by Marshal (2013) such as engagement, exploration, explanation, elaboration, and assessment. This process aligns closely with the cognitive demands of academic writing, which involves higher-order thinking, iterative feedback, and reflective learning. Research has shown that IBL not only improves students’ writing outcomes but also fosters critical thinking and independent learning (Adhami & Taghizadeh, 2024; Wale & Bogale, 2021; Wale & Bishaw, 2020).
However, despite its strengths in promoting inquiry and deeper understanding, IBL alone may not address the need for creativity and innovation in academic writing, which is essential for producing original and strong arguments (Zheng, 2019). The effectiveness of this approach to developing writing abilities is limited by its reliance on strong instructional support and the fact that not all students are ready for independent study (Sam, 2024; Milatasari, 2012). As stated by Krajcik et al. (1998) that the necessity of accessible tools that accommodate students’ varying abilities and experiences. Without proper guidance and support, students may find it challenging to navigate the inquiry process, ultimately hindering their ability to critically analyze and construct well-structured academic writing. Thus, IBL may not be appropriate for unmotivated students and can be challenging to implement in short period of time (Milatasari, 2012). These limitations indicate that while IBL is effective in promoting critical thinking and active learning, but it does not entirely accommodate the sequential and cyclical nature of academic writing. Several studies have highlighted the limitations of Inquiry-Based Learning (IBL) in providing a structured and iterative process that helps students systematically refine and develop their ideas. As classified by Kirschner et al. (2006), IBL is considered a form of minimally guided instruction. It is in line with the findings of Lazonder and Harmsen (2016) criticized inquiry-based learning for lacking clarity on the teacher’s role in guiding students throughout the learning process. Similarly, Krajcik and Blumenfeld (2006) reveal that IBL presents challenges in terms of structure, as students must independently discover solutions without clear guidance on how to develop and iterate their ideas. This lack of explicit scaffolding can hinder students’ ability to refine their arguments and improve their academic writing skills effectively. Furthermore, Sam (2024) asserts that IBL has a positive impact on students’ critical thinking, motivation, and academic performance, though its success largely depends on supportive learning environments and effective technological integration. These challenges indicate the need for a complementary approach that provides a structured yet flexible framework to enhance students’ creative and problem-solving abilities in academic writing. To address these limitations, a more iterative model like Design Thinking is needed. This approach emphasizes a cyclical process of ideation, prototyping, feedback, and revision.
Design thinking approach ensures that students not only engage in exploration but also systematically enhance the quality of their academic output (Plattner et al., 2009). This approach consists of five stages such as empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test (Goldman et al., 2010; Plattner et al., 2009). These stages provide a systematic framework that not only helps students develop solutions to complex academic writing challenges but also fosters creativity through iterative exploration. Design Thinking fosters a problem-solving mindset by emphasizing empathy, ideation, and prototyping, which are essential for addressing challenges in writing tasks (Fan & Ye, 2022). The iterative nature of this framework enables students to break down complex writing problems into manageable steps, guiding them through brainstorming, drafting, and revising.
Additionally, Goldman et al. (2009) highlight that Design Thinking strengthens students’ problem-solving skills through project-based learning, encouraging them to take action, experiment with ideas, and refine their arguments systematically. This structured process ensures that students not only generate ideas but also assess and improve them, thereby bridging the gap between conceptual exploration and effective written communication. Furthermore, the Empathize and Define stages help students identify their audience and clarify research questions, two of the most challenging aspects of academic writing. Beyond problem-solving, Design Thinking also nurtures creativity by promoting experimentation and iterative refinement of ideas. Rauth et al. (2010) describe Design Thinking as a meta-disciplinary approach that enhances creative confidence and competence through project- and process-based learning. This approach encourages students to engage in active learning and collaboration, which are key to developing innovative writing strategies. Design Thinking complements Inquiry-Based Learning (IBL) by providing a structured, iterative framework that guides students in refining ideas and developing high-quality academic writing. Integrating digital tools further enhances engagement, collaboration, and metacognitive skills (Koh et al., 2015; Utami et al., 2023). The QuiryThink Learning Model builds on this integration, combining IBL, Design Thinking, and Digital Multimodal Composing (DMC) to foster creativity, reflective thinking, and learner autonomy, offering an innovative approach that addresses the demands of academic writing in EFL higher education contexts.
C. Scientific Article Writing and the QuiryThink Learning Model
One important form of academic writing is the scientific article. Writing a scientific article is not only about following rules of structure and language, but also about presenting research so that it can be shared with a wider academic community. For students in higher education, learning how to write scientific articles is very important. It allows them to publish their work, contribute to the improvement of language teaching, and connect with other researchers around the world. In this way, scientific article writing becomes more than just a classroom task; it is also a step toward professional development and participation in global academic discussions. To support students in mastering this complex process, the QuiryThink Learning Model provides a structured, step-by-step framework. It guides students through nine systematic stage to develop publishable academic writing:
- Question (Q): Students develop awareness of academic writing challenges by reflecting on difficulties encountered in reading journal articles, exploring publication ethics, examining journal databases, comparing published articles, and collaboratively generating meaningful inquiry questions about academic writing quality and publish ability.
- Interview (I): Students investigate authentic academic publishing practices by conducting interviews and examining insights from experienced academic authors, editors, or reviewers. Through this process, they explore characteristics of publishable articles, analyze journal author guidelines, and present findings using multimodal formats such as slides, visual summaries, and digital mind maps.
- Recognize (R): Students recognize rhetorical structures, academic conventions, and research positioning by analyzing model research articles, conducting rhetorical move analysis, and mapping research trends using digital tools such as Connected Papers.
- Yield (Y): Students produce initial academic writing drafts by focusing on the alignment of rhetorical moves in each section, developing coherent arguments, and adhering to academic and digital ethics.
- Transform (T): Students evaluate the rhetorical effectiveness, academic ethics, and digital ethics of their drafts through structured peer review and rubric-based evaluation.
- Hone (H): Students refine their drafts by revising draft sections based on structured peer review feedback.
- Improve (I): Students enhance manuscript quality, accuracy, and academic integrity by evaluating their work using journal reviewer rubrics, digital writing tools (e.g., plagiarism detection and grammar checkers), and lecturer formative feedback.
- Nurture (N): Students finalize their manuscripts through reflective evaluation and pre-submission checks
- Keep (K): Students prepare manuscripts for final submission by engaging with submission tutorials, submitting their articles to target journals, and reflecting on their overall academic writing and submission experiences.
This Q-I-R-Y-T-H-I-N-K sequence provides a step-by-step, integrated framework combining Inquiry-Based Learning, Design Thinking, and Digital Multimodal Composing (DMC) to foster creativity, reflection, and autonomy in academic writing. Throughout these stages, students will be guided step by step: from asking questions, gathering information, analyzing, drafting, revising, and finally preparing your article for submission and publication. In this first session, we will focus on the Question stage: reflecting on your journal reading experiences, identifying the most challenging aspects, and raising critical questions about how scientific articles are structured and written. In this section, students begin by reflecting on their own experiences in reading and writing academic texts. This reflection is important because their past experiences can serve as a foundation for understanding the challenges, needs, and expectations in learning how to write scientific articles. Just like learning to listen before speaking, engaging with journal articles through reading is an essential first step before producing effective academic writing.
D. Worksheet 1.1 – Personal Reflection
INDIVIDUAL EXPLORATION
A. The Importance of Journal Article Publication
In Indonesia, writing and publishing scientific article become one of the prerequisites to get an academic degree. As specified in a circular letter from the Director General of Higher Education issued a circular letter No. 152/E/T/2012 regarding academic publications in obtaining bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees. The importance of research articles has grown since they are crucial in fostering innovation, solving social problems, and contributing to national development (Iskandar, 2020). The Indonesian government has further emphasized the need for quality research output, which is being standardized in all the educational institutions (Widodo, 2019). The increasing focus on academic publications not only contributes to global knowledge but also raises the reputation of Indonesia in terms of academics internationally (Suryani & Ahmad, 2021). In line with this, the Indonesian government has made efforts to increase the productivity and relevance of research both in universities and research institutions (Ristekbrin, 2021). It is known that academics in higher education in Indonesia have the obligation to carry out research and their research results must be published in scientific journals, both national and international (Jannah, 2018; Subekti, 2018; Sugilar et al., 2017; Susanti, 2020). So that academics must have the ability to research and then writing research articles.
In the past five years, universities and other higher education institutions have become the main contributors to research in Indonesia because they have the largest number of experts in science and technology. Based on data from Forlap PDDikti in 2020, there were more than 4,600 higher education institutions, including academies, polytechnics, colleges, institutes, and universities, all of which played an important role in increasing national research output (Dikbud, 2020). However, the quality of research outputs in Indonesia still needs to be improved. The results of previous studies show the importance of the support of private university owners in improving the quality of research (Javed et al., 2020).
Several previous studies have informed a lot about scientific publication solutions carried out by higher education. Among other things, researchers emphasize budgeting for scientific publications of research results (Subekti, 2018; Sugilar et al., 2017). Other researchers emphasize the importance of policy direction and management of scientific publication of research results (Priatna et al., 2020; Sugilar et al., 2017). Some researchers emphasize the importance of cooperation, partnership and collaboration in research and scientific publications (López Pellisa et al., 2020; Maryono & Surajiman, 2017; McMillan et al., 2020;). Some other researchers emphasize the importance of disseminating article writing policies (Triyanto et al., 2020), conducting academic writing workshops (Fadhilaturrahmi et al., 2020; Putra & Saputra, 2019) and article writing training for lecturers and students (Falah, 2019; Fernandez et al., 2020).
In addition, several researchers highlight the importance of writing centers, which are widely established in many leading universities abroad (Bhakta, 2019; Fischer, 2003; Fowler-Amato, 2020; King et al., 2018; North, 1984). These centers are designed to support students in developing their academic writing skills (Tamboli, 2020). They are usually managed by professional staff (Siemann, 2020) and involve academic writing experts who act as coaches (Anderson, 2020; McMurray, 2020). Writing centers also provide practical guides and references to assist students during the learning process (Coit, 2004; Org, 2019). Students can schedule sessions with a coach (Wilder, 2020), where they receive continuous guidance and constructive feedback (Williams, 2004; Bakla, 2020). This feedback process is essential to improving the quality of students’ writing (Bakla, 2020; López-Pellisa et al., 2020; Org, 2019; Samyoun et al., 2020). Moreover, training is delivered through various creative activities (Tremblay-Wragg et al., 2020), helping students not only to practice but also to develop a genuine interest in academic writing (Hayot, 2014; Kiriakos & Tienari, 2018).
B. Exploring Reputable Journals through Journal Finder Tools
In line with this growing emphasis on research quality, Indonesia has implemented a journal classification system known as SINTA, which ranks journals from SINTA 1, the highest, to SINTA 6, the lowest. The Science and Technology Index (SINTA) assesses journal performance based on accreditation and citation standards, indexing national journals accredited by the National Journal Accreditation (ARJUNA-Akreditasi Jurnal Nasional) (Ahmadi, 2019). Reputable journals are those ranked between SINTA 1 and SINTA 3, which generally serve as platforms for high-quality research, while SINTA 4–6 journals are newer publications. This system is intended to maintain research quality while providing a wide range of publication opportunities [Wibisono, 2022]. The increase in quality publications, especially in fields like English Language Teaching (ELT), reflects Indonesia’s progress in academic research.
In addition to national indexing systems, many international journals are indexed in global databases such as Scopus, where journals are categorized into quartiles (Q1–Q4) based on citation impact and academic influence. Understanding journal indexing helps students recognize differences in journal reputation, scope, and scholarly standards.
However, publishing in reputable journals is not only about ranking or citation metrics. It is also closely connected to publication ethics. Publication ethics refers to the principles that ensure honesty, transparency, and responsibility in academic publishing. Ethical publishing practices include the following aspects:
- Clear Authorship and Affiliation. Authors must clearly state their names, institutional affiliations, and countries to show academic responsibility and accountability.
- proper citation and avoidance of plagiarism. This shows that ideas taken from other scholars are clearly credited, helping to avoid plagiarism.
- Complete reference list. All sources cited in the text must appear in the reference list.
- Ethics statement/ participant consent. If a study involves human participants (e.g., students, teachers), the article should mention ethical approval or informed consent. This statement is usually found in the Method section.
- Acknowledgement/ funding disclosure. Authors should acknowledge financial support or contributions from institutions or individuals.
It is important to note that not all ethical aspects apply to every type of research. Some articles, such as literature reviews or document-based studies, may not involve human participants or external funding. In such cases, certain ethical indicators are marked as Not Applicable (N/A). This does not indicate a weakness; rather, it reflects the nature of the study.
For students, understanding publication ethics is essential because academic writing is not only about producing structured texts, it is about developing integrity as emerging scholars. By examining how published articles present ethical statements, acknowledgements, and citation practices, you learn how responsible research is reported and communicated.
For students, understanding publication ethics is essential because academic writing is not only about producing well-structured texts—it is about developing integrity as emerging scholars. By examining how published articles present ethical statements, acknowledgements, and citation practices, students learn how responsible research is reported and communicated.
Understanding publication ethics helps students to:
- avoid plagiarism
- cite sources correctly
- report research transparently
- and prepare academic articles in accordance with journal standards
In this section, you will explore both journal reputation and publication ethics through the use of journal finder tools. Through this exploration, you will learn how to:
- match a research topic with an appropriate journal scope,
- identify journal indexing and ranking systems,
- recognize ethical indicators within published articles, and
- reflect on how publication standards shape academic writing practices.
This task is designed to foster independent learning, critical observation, and ethical awareness before engaging in collaborative discussion. By exploring real journal articles, you will not only compare research structures and styles but also understand the ethical foundations that support credible academic publishing.
C. Worksheet 1.2 – Finding and Comparing Two Journal Articles on the Same Topic
Find two journal articles on the same topic in English Education, then compare their structure, style, and research approach.
Step 1 – Decide Your Topic
Choose one focused topic in English Education.
Examples:
- Technology in EFL classrooms
- Students’ motivation in learning English
- Peer feedback in academic writing
- AI in language learning
Step 2 – Use Academic Search Tools
You may use:
- Google Scholar to search for a wide range of academic articles and access abstracts and citations.
- Consensus
- Chat GPT
Step 3 – Searching Strategy (Follow These Instructions)
- Go to the search platform (Google Schoolar or Consensus)
- Type your topic using specific keywords.
Example:
- “peer feedback in EFL writing classrooms”
- “AI tools in English language learning”
3. Read only the title and abstract first.
4. Select two articles that clearly focus on the same topic.
Step 4 – Using AI (ChatGPT) to Support (Not Replace) Your Search
After selecting two articles:
You may ask AI:
- “Summarize the research focus of this abstract.”
- “What research method is used in this study?”
- “Are these two studies investigating the same issue?”
⚠ Important:
- Do not copy AI responses.
- Use AI only to clarify your understanding.
- Always confirm with the original article.
| Item | Article 1 | Article 2 |
| Title | ||
| Author(s) | ||
| Year of Publication | ||
| Journal Name | ||
| Journal Scope | ||
| Journal Indexing System | ||
| Publisher/ Country | ||
| Research focus |
Instructions:
Read two selected journal articles. Mark Yes / No / N/A and provide short evidence.
| Ethical Aspects | Article 1 | Article 2 | Notes/Evidence |
| Clear author affiliation | Yes/No | Yes/No | Institution and country stated? |
| Proper in-text citations | Yes/No | Yes/No | Sources cited correctly? |
| Complete reference list | Yes/No | Yes/No | All citations listed? |
| Ethics statement / consent (if applicable) | Yes/No/N/A | Yes/No/N/A | Ethical approval or participant consent mentioned? |
| Acknowledgement / funding disclosure | Yes/No | Yes/No | Funding or contributor recognition included? |
Complete the table based on your own reading.
| Aspects | Article 1 | Article 2 | Similarity | Differences |
| Research Problem | ||||
| Research Objectives | ||||
| Methodology
(Quantitative/Qualitative/Mixed) |
||||
| Participants | ||||
| Data Collection Methods | ||||
| Use of Citations | ||||
| Strengths | ||||
| Challenges for Student Readers |
Answer in paragraph form:
- Which article is easier to understand? Why?
- What structural similarities do most academic journal articles share?
- What differences did you notice in writing style or research design?
- What did you learn about how journal articles are written?
- How will this comparison help you write your own academic article?
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SHARING AND DISCUSSION
Scientific article writing is a process that involves many stages, from developing an idea to submitting a manuscript for publication. Each stage requires specific knowledge, skills, and awareness of the expectations set by journals and reviewers. For many students, understanding these stages can be difficult without real-life insights from experienced scholars or journal editors. Therefore, discussing and preparing questions as a group will help students clarify their understanding and focus on what they really want to know about the publication process.
Through group discussion, students have the opportunity to reflect on their own experiences with academic writing and connect them with the challenges of publishing in journals. By working collaboratively, they can generate meaningful questions that not only reflect their curiosity but also guide them toward a deeper understanding of what makes an article publishable. This process also encourages students to think critically, compare perspectives, and learn how to formulate academic inquiries.
The questions developed in this session will serve as the foundation for the upcoming interview with journal editors, reviewers, or lecturers with strong publication experience. This means that the quality of the questions created here will directly influence the depth of insights students can gain in the next stage. Therefore, it is important for each group to take the discussion seriously, explore different angles, and prepare clear and focused questions. This way, the interview will become a valuable learning experience about the realities of scientific publishing.
A. Worksheet 1.3 – Generating Questions on Academic Writing and Journal Publication
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DRAFTING AND REFINING
After each group uploads the 15 questions developed in the previous stage, this stage focuses on expert validation and refinement. The primary goal is to ensure that the questions are appropriate, relevant, and professionally framed for submission to journal editors, reviewers, or lecturers with expertise in academic publication.
At this stage, the lecturer reviews all 15 questions from each group and evaluates whether they meet the standards of clarity, focus, relevance, and ethical appropriateness required in academic publishing contexts. The lecturer then provides written and/or oral feedback, including suggestions for rewording, narrowing the focus, or removing questions that are redundant or unsuitable.
Based on the lecturer’s feedback, each group is required to revise their questions. Only questions that have been approved by the lecturer are considered ready for use in the subsequent Interview stage. This validation process ensures that the questions are not merely discussion-oriented but are academically sound and suitable for professional communication with editors and reviewers.
A. Worksheet 1.4 – Refining and Finalizing Interview Questions
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ASSIGNMENT
In this assignment, each group will conduct a field interview with a journal editor, reviewer, or lecturer who has extensive publication experience.
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