Non-native English-speaking (NNES) students’ English academic writing experiences in higher education: A meta-ethnographic qualitative synthesis

Abstract

This meta-ethnography synthesises 26 qualitative studies published since 2000 to explore factors shaping NNES students' English academic writing experiences in higher education. The findings reveal that students' writing experiences are significantly influenced by their prior educational backgrounds, current learning contexts, self-perceived writing capabilities, and the strategies they employ to navigate various writing challenges, including a lack of preparedness, insufficient institutional support, and inadequate academic and linguistic competence. The findings also indicate that students' adaptive strategies, such as the use of cognitive, meta-cognitive, and social strategies, play a crucial role in mitigating academic writing deficiencies. The findings underscore the need for higher education institutions to implement more responsive and inclusive support systems that address the cognitive, linguistic, and affective dimensions of students' academic writing endeavours. Drawing upon the findings, a conceptual framework is developed, providing a holistic view of factors mediating students' writing experiences and offering theoretical and practical implications for enhancing educational practices and policies to better support these students’ academic endeavours.