Tertiary Students’ Perceptions of an ESL Writing Course Using a Reflective Critical Approach

This study explores tertiary students’ perceptions of the effectiveness of an ESL Academic Writing course that employs a reflective critical approach in its instruction. The course aims to improve students’ academic writing skills by promoting self-awareness, critical thinking, and collaborative learning. Key instructional techniques include the use of self-reflective online journals, peer feedback activities, and critical academic writing checklists. Self-reflective journals encourage students to evaluate their own writing processes and progress, while peer feedback allows students to engage critically with peers’ written work. The academic writing checklists provide structured guidance to support the development of coherent and well-organized academic essays. A survey questionnaire using a five-point Likert scale was administered to 76 undergraduate students enrolled in a four-month ESL Academic Writing course. The questionnaire measured students’ perception on the use of the reflective critical approach in writing expository essay writing skill, including perceived improvements in editing and proofreading. The findings indicate that the students perceived the approach as effective, particularly in producing improved academic essays. Overall, the study suggests that integrating reflective practices, peer feedback, and structured writing techniques can enhance the effectiveness of ESL academic writing instruction at the tertiary level.