Profiling the Writing Competency of BAME Undergraduate Students: Fostering Inclusion and Academic Success to Improve Retention in Tertiary Education

Abstract

Higher education students from a Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds tend to withdraw from their undergraduate degree in the United Kingdom (UK). It is therefore important to explore their writing challenges to increase student retention and reduce the ethnicity awarding gap. The current study examines and describes the written communication competency strengths and weaknesses of randomly selected BAME undergraduate ESL students at a higher education institution (HEI) in the UK. Acknowledging the centrality of the text in the rating process, the essays of 20 participants were analyzed to reveal more information about the syntactic complexity, richness of vocabulary, cohesion, and lexical density of these learners' essays and allow the researcher to reflect on ways in which their writing performance could be improved. Therefore, this chapter provides interesting suggestions to HEI and lecturers who are willing to put the effort into improving BAME undergraduate ESL learners' writing skills while preparing them for the world of work.

Key Terms in this Chapter

Inclusion: The practice or policy of providing equal access to opportunities and resources for people who might otherwise be excluded or marginalized, such as those who have physical or mental disabilities and members of other minority groups.

Writing Competency: The level of understanding you have achieved in regards to writing your own piece of text.

High-Stakes Exams: Any test that has major consequences or is the basis of a major decision.