Writing expectations in ESL classrooms: a comparative analysis of students and lecturers' perspectives in colleges of education in Ghana

Second language writing has gained much importance in a communicative world yet it poses difficulty to most students because of its complex-thinking nature. This mixed methods study examines the writing expectations of ESL lecturers and students in Colleges of Education (CoE) classrooms in Ghana. Using purposive and stratified random sampling for qualitative and quantitative data, respectively, a total of one-hundred and fifty-five (155) participants comprising 138 students and 17 lecturers constituted the sample size in this study. Quantitative data covering six thematic areas were analyzed using SPSS to determine frequencies, means and standard deviations. The findings reveal that students place greater importance on feedback in writing compared to their lecturers. Student-teachers also expect their English lecturers to provide models of effective writing. Significant differences in writing expectations were noted, primarily favouring students, in six thematic areas: feedback, learner practice, teacher modeling, grammar, mechanics and revising and editing. However, lecturers placed greater emphasis on organization, unity and coherence in writing. Both groups agreed on the critical importance of editing, proofreading, logical grouping, and clear introductions and conclusions. The study highlights the need for ESL lecturers to hold regular writing workshops, engage students in one-on-one writing sessions, provide deliberate feedback, and implement collaborative and active learning strategies. These recommendations aim to bridge the gap in writing expectations among students in Colleges of Education.