Exploring factors affecting First-Year Students’ academic writing proficiency: Insights from one South African institution

Academic writing is fundamental to students’ success in higher education, yet many first-year university students struggle to meet the academic writing expectations of higher education institutions. In the South African context, these challenges are shaped by diverse linguistic, educational, and socio-cultural backgrounds. Grounded in Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory, this study investigated university lecturers’ perceptions of the factors influencing first-year students’ academic writing proficiency by exploring their expectations and experiences regarding students’ writing development. A qualitative case study design was employed, with purposive sampling used to select ten lecturers who teach first-year students. Data were collected through open-ended face-to-face interviews and thematically analysed. The findings reveal that students experience significant challenges in grammar, argument construction, and source integration. Additionally, cultural and linguistic backgrounds were found to influence writing proficiency. Lecturers highlighted the importance of detailed, constructive feedback and the use of interactive teaching strategies that align with sociocultural principles of learning. The study contributes to research knowledge by providing insight into lecturers’ perspectives on academic writing development in higher education. It recommends incorporating more interactive pedagogical approaches and improving feedback practices to support student learning. Therefore, this study contributes to scholarship by deepening the understanding of the factors that influence academic writing proficiency from the perspectives of first-year students within the context of South African higher education. The findings provide evidence to inform the design of contextually relevant academic writing interventions, curriculum development, and institutional support strategies to improve students’ academic writing practices and overall academic success.