Talk about writing
Research suggests that an increasing number of school students, particularly those from backgrounds traditionally under-represented at university, feel unprepared for unfamiliar writing styles and assessments at university.
Adapting to new ways of reading and writing is fundamental to student success at university. Within the A level curriculum, teachers’ first priority is content; consequently, post-school literacy development tends to be left to the post-school context. However, the Curriculum for Wales emphasises the importance of literacy and languages as transferrable, life-long skills, showing that these skills need long-term attention.
Developing student literacy
Cardiff University’s School of English, Communication and Philosophy’s Writing Development Centre supports the development of students’ literacies, from transition to completion, and beyond. Among the range of services offered, undergraduate peer writing mentors are trained in inclusive, non-directive mentoring strategies to help peers develop writing confidence and skills. This service is very popular, particularly with Year 1 students, who value support from peers than from postgraduate or professional tutors.
Supporting pupils transition to university
This project explored the use of peer writing mentors in the secondary school context to support pupils transition to university literacy. Near-peer mentoring has been established as an effective way of increasing confidence and aspirations, a sense of belonging, and academic integration, as demonstrated by our award-winning Modern Foreign Language mentoring project and the Physics Mentoring Project.
This project, developed in collaboration with current peer writing mentors, delivered mentor-led small-group activities to pupils at Fitzalan High School in Leckwith, Cardiff. The school serves a catchment area in which there are high levels of social and economic disadvantage. Approximately 84% of pupils come from a black, Asian and minority ethnic background and 25% speak English as an additional language.
Activities offered by the student mentors included exploring the features of effective writing, discussion on the nature of learning and writing at university, and workshops to co-create a toolkit of writing/learning resources for participating pupils and future cohorts.
The success of the project was measured in terms of its impact on pupils, mentors and teachers by conducting pre- and post-mentoring self-assessment/reflections.
Next steps
The project team will sustain the relationship with Fitzalan High School by continuing to co-develop peer writing mentoring and perhaps develop an online toolkit with the mentees, subject to further funding. The proposed toolkit will contain tips for developing post-school literacies and becoming more independent learners, and will be accessible to all 6th formers at Fitzalan, as well as other schools within the Cardiff Capitol Region.
