Fostering Excellence in English Academic Writing Among Health Profession Students and Lecturers: An Action Research

Abstract

Academic writing is a critical skill for researchers and educators. However, many, especially in nonnative English-speaking contexts, face challenges in mastering it. This study employed action research (AR) involving 27 participants to address these challenges through the design and implementation of an academic writing workshop for postgraduate students and lecturers from the Faculties
of Medicine, Health Sciences, and Pharmacy. The AR workshop integrated hands-on learning, structured guidance, and innovative tools such as ChatGPT to enhance participants’ academic writing self-efficacy. A validated self-efficacy writing scale and a structured open-ended feedback form were used to evaluate the effectiveness of the AR intervention. A mixed-model repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed self-efficacy scores increased significantly from 48.39 (SD = 6.71) to 59.07 (SD = 7.27) after the workshop (p < 0.001; mean difference = 10.68, 95% CI: 8.37 to 12.99). The main effects of gender and role (student versus lecturer) were not significant. Nevertheless, interaction effects revealed that male participants and students improved significantly more than 
female participants and lecturers. Using McNiff’s AR framework analysis, the thematic synthesis revealed key barriers to academic writing, such as challenges in initiating and structuring ideas, and highlighted the importance of engaging environments and the integration of artificial intelligent (AI) tools. Institutional support is crucial for addressing logistical and methodological challenges,
including obtaining ethics approval and raising awareness of the AR research paradigm. While the findings illuminate the path for targeted interventions to enhance academic writing, demographic disparities and systemic barriers warrant further investigation. This study offers actionable insights for developing inclusive, adaptable writing programmes for diverse learners in higher education.